MARCH 10, 2020

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” 
― Timothy J. Keller, The Meaning of Marriage

DEUTERONOMY 11-13

1Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.(11:1)

MARK 13:1-13

1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

JOURNAL 

It is not buildings that matter...it is the hearts and souls of people. To really embrace the words of God and the Bible means that "things" no longer take precedence...things include money, possessions, power, positions, titles, jobs, etc. The minds, hearts and souls of people, their commitment to God and their fellow man is all that matters. 

Yet so many things and circumstances too often take precedence over my love of God and others. I get caught up in the superficial. I get caught up in how I think things should play out and work out, instead of trusting God and focusing on today and only today. Forgive me father for trying to get ahead of you. Help me to see the good in every moment and seek to give you my best in that moment. That's the only way to have true peace and joy. 

34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^c 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^d 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

MATTHEW 22:34-40