Sunday Scripture

 

Here is our second Sunday Scripture for December.  Remember, I am writing these posts from an Advent study that I did with Good Morning Girls in 2013.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download, so if you are interested head on over there and get it.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image similar to the illustration above, and the pdf should open right up.

Just a note too that I am also doing Sunday Scripture posts over at my regular blog, Across My Kitchen Table -- and I am using different verses (from the same study) in those Sunday posts.  So if you really want some biblical encouragement during this Christmas season, you might enjoy reading at both blogs.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

Each week of this Advent study focuses on a theme: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  The verses for this second week are focused on Love. 

 For today, the verses to focus on are Mark 12:28-30.   If you happen to be following along with this study on your own, it will be the verses for December 10 that I am using.

S=  "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that [Jesus] had answered [the Sadducees] well, asked Him, Which is the first [that is, most important] commandment of all? 
"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." (Mark 12:28-30)

O= The speaker in verse 28 is "one of the scribes".  He had been listening as Jesus answered the Sadducees (and possibly as He answered the Herodians also -- it doesn't specify).  This scribe perceived that Jesus had "answered them well", so he asked a question of his own: "Which is the first commandment of all?"

The next two verses are part of Jesus' reply to the scribe, as He plainly states that the first, or most important, commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

A=  It's easy sometimes to think of "commandments" as being related to the Old Testament -- to law rather than grace.  Yet here in these verses Jesus clearly states that the most important commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength ... with our entire being ... with all that we are and all that we have.  Am I doing that?

P= "Lord, I thank You for these verses that go straight from the heart of Jesus to my heart.  I thank You that His words are clear and forthright.  There is no ambiguity, no question about what is being said.  I'm to love You with all my heart -- with an undivided heart.  I'm to love You with all my soul; with all my mind, thinking the thoughts that please You and thinking on the truths of who You are.  And I am to love You with all my strength.  I think of a line from the carol 'O Holy Night' which goes something like this: 'Let all within us praise His holy name.'  May I love You with all that is within me!  

"I thank You and praise You for Your great love for me that redeemed my life from destruction and crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There is our Advent study for December 12!  I hope it was a blessing to you today.