Thurs.'s Devo - Love and Joy Come to You

Read: John 15:8-14
God is glorified when we bear fruit and it is what constitutes us being God's disciples. God loves us with the same love he loves his son. At the end of verse 9 he tells us to continue in his love. That translates abide, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry in God's love. In the next verse Jesus is praying that his joy, his calm delight and cheerfulness might remain in us and that our joy might be satisfied. If there was anything that the world cannot copy it is joy. It is almost out of place in the world we live in. When we display God's joy, everyone wants to be around us. It is a real strength and power. Jesus left us his joy. I think Jesus was a lot of fun. I think he laughed a lot and playfully teased his disciples because he sure plays with me and makes me laugh.
He again gives us the commandment to love one another just as he loved us. The greatest love we can have is to lay down our lives for our friends. That is what he did for us. Many people have been martyrs for Lord and many people have laid down their lives for a family member but it would be a little harder to do it for a friend. It would take great love and this is what Jesus wants us to have... great love for one another.