Psalm of the Day: Psalm 74:1-12
Wisdom of the Day: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10
Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-38
In the third place, our Lord points out to His disciples the necessity of their having a HIGHER STANDARD OF DUTY to their neighbor than the people of this world. He reminds them that to love those who love them, and do good to those who do good to them, and lend to those of whom they hope to receive is to act no better than the sinner who knows nothing of the Gospel.
The Christian must be altogether another style of man. His feelings of love and his deeds of kindness must be like his Master's — free and gracious. He must let men see that he loves others from higher principles than the ungodly do, and that his charity is not confined to those from whom he hopes to get something in return.
Anybody can show kindness and charity when he hopes to gain something by it. But such charity should never content a Christian. The man who is content with it ought to remember that his practice does not rise an inch above the level of an old Roman or Greek idolater!
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, help me to love others even when there seems to be no personal gain.
Action Plan: Do I love others when there seems to be only something in it for me or do I act like Christ and love free and graciously?
This devotional was taken from The Gospel of Luke by J.C. Ryle published in 1858
and adapted by Pastor Tim Lewis of New England Shores Baptist Church.
