Katherine J. Butler - Bathed in Love: Inspirations to Shower You with Joy and Soak You in Hope

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Bathed in Love: Inspirations to Shower You with Joy and Soak You in Hope

Copyright 2020 by Ronald A. Beers. All rights reserved.

Adapted from 365 Pocket Promises from the Bible (ISBN 978-1-4143-6986-0), copyright 2012 by Ronald A. Beers.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-4616-9

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A TEACHER OF RELIGIOUS LAW once asked Jesus a question that perhaps all of us have wondered at one time or another: What is the greatest commandment? In other words, if there is one thing we need to get right, what would it be? Jesus answered with this: You must love the L ORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.... [And] love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).

Jesus wants his followers to have a life bathed in love: love for God, love for their neighbors, and love for themselves. This command is not an easy ask and may even seem impossible. Many of us feel there is little space in our souls to love well as we race through life trying to meet one demand after another.

If this is true for you, then this little book is a great place to begin. Inside are one hundred passages from Scripture that have been carefully selected to encourage and inspire your faith. Following the verses are short devotions to bathe you in love. Youll also find self-care practices sprinkled throughout the book to help you feel refreshed, relaxed, and reconnected to God.

Before you open this book each time, remember that these devotions arent meant to become one more item on your to-do list. Our hope and prayer is that each reading will help you sink deeper into Gods great promises of love and care for you.

Set aside time to deepen your love for God, for your neighbor, and for yourself. For Jesus has said no other commandment is greater than this.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.... When you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is Gods guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.

EPHESIANS 1:2, 13-14

Gods love is like a vast ocean. He sends wave after wave of blessings to flow over you. Just as the movement of the ocean is constant, Gods blessings are constant, even when you are not aware of them. Scripture is filled with descriptions of the gifts God promises to those who love him, including his presence, his grace, and his peace. He also sends you his Holy Spirit, who opens your eyes to the blessings that surround you every day.

Care for yourself by choosing one activity to help you resist unnecessary hurry: a slow walk, an unrushed conversation, leaving five minutes earlier than normal for an appointment, or letting go of items on your to-do list. Resist multitasking so that you can be more present with others and yourself.

This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

JOHN 3:16

The greatest gift God offers you is his Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, God gives you not only eternal life but also blessings for today: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). What makes these gifts so wonderful is that you dont have to work for them or earn them. You simply believe that God has given you his Son and eternal life with him. Then you yield yourself to him and accept these blessings, which no one can take away. Have you received Gods wonderful gifts?

Dont copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know Gods will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.