Daily Devotional 8/12/26
John 14:15 (NKJV): If you love Me, keep My commandments.
The Greek word that is translated “keep” means “guard” or “keep an eye on”. The description of the word says that it is different from the word that means “to prevent escaping”. It is also different from the word that means a military fortress. Today’s verse is a reminder to me that agape love is not about holding people captive to a thing that we believe is true. Agape love is not about locking someone up in something. Agape love is about being free in love. Agape love is about being free with forgiveness and mercy. Agape love is about being free in joy and peace. We do not live out agape love in our lives to bring others captive to a certain way of life and thinking; instead, we live out of agape love to bring the life of Jesus into ours and those around us. We keep our focus on doing the things Jesus has called us to do in this life: live in forgiveness, show mercy, seek wholeness. We are not called to bind up people in a set of rules and regulations. We are called to set us all free in the agape love of the Gospel of Jesus. Today, may we live out what we are called to by Jesus and make sure those around us find the forgiveness, mercy and love they need.