Valentine's Special: 7-Day Devotional on LOVE

Happy Valentine's Day!

Following is a mini 7-day devotional about LOVE!
A Valentine Fellowship Devotional:

What’s better to dwell on than the love of God?

In this study, we focus on a new, refreshing view of Jesus on the cross and how much He really loves you.

Day 1 

What a love! What a sacrifice!

Read Matthew 27:46 - 50, and John 19:30.

Jesus hung on the cross, and Matthew 27:46 tells us that “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Then, after onlookers respond in disbelief or with their own reasoning, as shown in verses 47 – 49, we see in verse 50 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.”

Bask in this truth: To “give up” in Greek is aphiemi, which means “to send away, to leave, to permit to depart, to abandon.”  
His “spirit” in Greek is pneuma, which means “breath.”  And on a side note, how fitting to think of our Holy Spirit as our breath; He truly is.

So, Jesus spoke again before he breathed His last breath, as we’re told in Matthew 27:50. This verse parallels with John 19:30, which tells us what Jesus said before He died on the cross: “It is finished.”

These two statements are undeniable – Jesus said exactly these things. But the love contained in these two statements is often overlooked; many who read this or hear a sermon about it don’t take the time to see the worth of Jesus’ words.


Understand what Jesus did not say: He didn’t say “I am finished,” because we know He’s not. “It is finished” in Greek is Tetelestai – this word is worthy of memorizing; when you hear it, you’ll know what it means. 
Tetelestai means “to complete, to finish, to accomplish.” Therefore, Jesus’ last words were a shout of victory. All that God willed for us was accomplished because He loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! The work of God was finished!
What blessed last words to proclaim just before death.
What do you learn about God from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?

 

Day 2

God's love makes me new!
Read Matthew 26:6-13. Cross-reference to Mark 14:3-9; John 12: 1-9; & Luke 7:36-50. (Could be all the same event, but most likely, it was 2, maybe even 3, different events.)

Two days earlier, before He was crucified, Jesus was with friends, basically enjoying one another’s company at Simon the Leper’s house in Bethany. (As he sits in a room with all men, can you imagine how intimidating the moment had to have been for the woman with the oil? She walks in, straight to Jesus, with a jar of oil. Seh then pours the oil over Jesus “as He was reclining at the table” (Matthew 26:7). She was determined to anoint Jesus’ body with spikenard oil. Why? She had been healed by the Savior; she was made new; Jesus was her Lord, and she listened to Him. She believed Him. Jesus had just said that very day (verse 2), “the Son of Man will be handed over and crucified.” As a matter of fact, Jesus forewarned the disciples repeatedly that He would be crucified for their sins: in Matthew 17:11, in Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 16:21, and quite a few other times. Each time he proclaimed His death, the disciples acted as if they had never heard it. But this woman listened and remembered.
Matthew, the numbers-man, never gives the oil's monetary value. The Books of John and Mark, however, state the oil was worth 300 denarii, which equals a whole year's worth of wages. 
How much is 300 denarii? Remember, in John 6:7 Philip commented that 200 denarii would be needed to feed the five thousand people. So, if 200 could feed 5,000, the amount of spikenard oil used to anoint Jesus equivalates the amount needed to feed a meal to 7,500 people. That was some expensive oil!
What was this woman doing with this expensive oil? Numerous possibilities can flood our thoughts; however, the underlying reason why this woman had this oil was because God made it so. 
The freedom of God's love and forgiveness had an impact on her life. 
Spikenard oil is still trusted today to fight infections and boost the immune system. It was an expensive oil then, and it’s not a cheap oil today. The oil was poured over Jesus’ head and was allowed to coat his skin as it flowed down to His feet. The oil has a woodsy scent. However, Jesus didn’t just have the oil dabbed to His inner wrists; he was coated – His hair, His beard, His arms, His legs, His feet -- in the oil. The scent was not just the room, but the entire house would have been overwhelmingly strong in scent to the point of giving olfactory functions a tingling or burning feeling. Everyone walking within a few yards of Jesus had to have noticed and probably vocalized, “What’s that smell?”

Now, remember, Jesus had said earlier on that same day that He would be crucified in two days. Remember that as we move on.

 

We are blessed to hear of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, but why not experience the same scent Jesus experienced at the moment He sang, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken Me?” Sang or questioned? . . .


Day 3

Make a joyful noise to God!
Read Matthew 26:30, 36 & Psalm 22:1.

After being anointed with oil and having the Lord’s Supper, Jesus and the disciples sang. Then, Jesus walked to the Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. The moment is Passover, and Hallels, which are songs we find in the Psalms, were being sung as vibrantly as we sing Christmas songs at Christmas times. Just as we know several Christmas songs word-by-word, Jesus and the disciples sang the songs stuck in their heads. Could Jesus have initiated the singing of Psalm 22 with His disciples? It's possible. Either way, Jesus knew that worship songs stir the love of God. We connect with God in an unmatched loving and peaceful way when we sing worship songs to Him. 
What song can you sing today that you like, that reminds you of your Heavenly Father?

Read Psalm 22:1.

Even though David was writing the words of Jesus, David felt this way and expressed his despair. Hannah, when barren, felt it. Naomi felt it when her husband and sons died. Job felt like God deserted him. Hagar wept as she thought her son was going to die, feeling abandoned. 

Likewise, the first verse is also the words of Jesus on the cross. The first two verses describe the feeling of desolation – I’m in fervent need of help, but I don’t feel like You’re anywhere around, God! You’re far from me, and You don’t hear me! I can’t speak for anyone else but me – I’ve been there, feeling the same despair.

And Jesus bore our despair. In Hebrews 2:14-17, Jesus fulfills Scripture:

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Could it have been that as Jesus took our doubt and sin, He felt it intricately, and what He felt is revealed in Psalm 22:1-2? He already knew the fulfillment of the Gospel was coming. He knew God was powerfully present. 
As a Jesus follower, what has recently brought you into despair? What truth from God, that you already know, do you need to remind yourself of? 

Day 4


In dark days, God, You are holy!
Read Psalm 22: 3-18.
(Interest fact: Only 3 Bible version capitalize pronouns referring to Jesus written in this chapter: NKJV, RGT, & KJ21.)

Verse 3 is a shift in focus, and for our Savior on the cross, He gives us an example. 

The nails certainly hurt His feet and hands; the thorns panged his head. Of course the whips on His back still throbbed, and the place where His beard was torn out still stung. Naturally, He felt disgusting where He was spit on. He was achy and hungry and thirsty. An initial response would be to feel defeated. Then, verse 3 picks up with the word “But . . ."

The shift goes from yourself, from myself, to God. 
"But YOU, God, You are holy."
These verses remind us: God, You are on the throne; You are trustworthy; You are the Deliverer."

The hardships of life come over us in waves sometimes, and Psalm 22 is like a whole life condensed into one chapter. 
BUT . . . In verses 6-8, David writes of how lonely it can be to follow God's will. People don't like me. I disgust those who find it ridiculous how I trust in You (v. 7,8). 
We feel the loneliness, and the Christian faith is despised and mocked daily, just like David experienced, and  Jesus shared in the same.  
BUT -- "You have been My God."
How can we remind ourselves of who God is in our lives? 
Who is God to you? 
How does this knowledge help you?

In another downward turn, verse 11 circles back to pleading for God's help. David was being hunted by an army. The events in these verses actually happened on the cross as well. As for us, we try to center God, and then we're pulled back into woes of our world. We all have them. 
Take time to pray now, and tell God your needs, your discouragements, your worries, and your hurts. Give them to the Lord and trust Him. 



Day 5


My heart lives forever!
Read Psalm 22:19-31.

Continuing from verse 1-18, verse 19 is a one-line stanza, a monostich. It stands alone because its content is all that's needed: "You have answered Me."  
Verse 22 begins praising God, blessing His name, speaking of His love, His works, and His sovereignty. Jesus gives us a reminder to read and sing these truths in our darkest times. 
In verse 26, Jesus makes a request to you: "Let your heart live forever!"
How do you let your heart live forever?


In verses 27-31, Jesus shares what is and what will happen as a result of the finished work:
Everyone will remember God. 
Everyone with turn to God. 
Everyone will worship God. 
Also, those with the Spirit of God with be provided for and will worship Him. 
The knowledge of God and His love will continue through the generations. 
From what you can remember, how was the love of God introduced to you?
How have you shared the love of God today?





Day 6


Oh, How He loves You and Me!

Proverbs 10:7 says, "The memories of the righteous are a blessing." What did Jesus remember and think about from His past?
I've often tried to put myself in Jesus' shoes. Were His feet sore and achy? Did He enjoy plunging his feet in cool streams? 
I've tried to imagine how Jesus felt hoisted by piercing nails above the heads of everyone, naked, bruised, bleeding, and hurt. I've thought about what He may have seen, how dry His throat may have been, and what He smelled. . .


On a side note, in my own life there have been times when I am standing outside in desperate prayer, and I will suddenly feel a distinctive sweet breeze. I've always believed they were gifts from God. 
Could Jesus have felt a sweet breeze that reignited the spikenard scent still on Him, and it took Him back to those times of singing with His friends? He knew how the song ended. So, He cried out, "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken Me?"
The song ends in victory! He then proclaimed, "It is finished." Despite the pain of being afflicted with the world's sin and paying the price that we should pay, He hung on a cross and dies in our place so we can have eternity, and it felt, to our Savior, like a winning move. 




Day 7


God is love.

The victory on the cross is the true power of love. 
"Love" is given a million different attributes, but Jesus gives us the correct ones:
He says the greatest commandment is that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)
He says we are to love our neighbor like we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:39)
He says that greater love has no man than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
He says we are to love one another, just as He has loved us. (John 13:34)

From the above verses, what aspect of God's love do you want to strengthen in your life?

Lastly, in John 15:9-12:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 


 I am placing spikenard oil in small sample bottles to give as gifts along with this study to my friends. 


Here's a link for a set of sample bottles for $8.15 to include the oil in each one as a gift. 
Amazon.com: AFMNQZ 50Pack Set 1ML Amber Glass Bottle with Orifice Reducer and Cap Small Essential Oil Vials (1ML) : Beauty & Personal Care


Following is an Amazon link to Spikenard essential oil. This brand, Jatamansi, sells the oil for 21.99 and has over 800 reviews with 4.4 stars. https://a.co/d/7350gSv Amazon offers many other brands; this one seemed the most reasonable to me.



About 5 - 6 drops in each bottle will suffice. This divides into approximately 15 - 20 bottles.  
5 drops = 1/4 ml
20 drops = 1 ml
100 = 5 ml (size of spikenard bottle)

Here’s another option: a set of 15 for $7.99:  https://a.co/d/3bW4sOX

(By the way, I get no incentives for any clicks or sales. I'm genuinely giving some help and suggestions in spreading the love of God.)

I pray that you will know the width, the length, the depth, and the height of the love of Jesus Christ.

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you'll follow me, I will keep you posted on more devotionals and such.