Love We Cannot Produce
Set in place, supplied by a quiet current, a picture of love flowing from Jesus rather than from self.
Devotional Credit: His Victorious Indwelling, compiled by Nick Harrison
Photo Credit: Unsplash
1 John 2:5 says that God’s love is perfected in the one who keeps His word. Today’s reading reminds me that perfect love is beyond human ability. The call exposes our weakness, not to shame us, but to steer us away from self-effort and into the life of Jesus within. I appreciate how Nick Harrison gathers voices that point us to the Source. We do not squeeze love from ourselves. We receive love from the Lord and watch Him express it through us.
The page warns that natural ambition and law-keeping cannot carry us to love. They may look serious on the outside, yet the heart stays tight. Grace opens the box. The Holy Spirit pours out divine love in ordinary relationships, not by our push, but by our union with Christ.
This is good news for the moments that reveal our limits. When a conversation is sharp, when expectations stack up, when fatigue thins patience, the way forward is not to try harder. The way is to trust the inliving Savior. He has already given new life. His word abides in us. His love is ready to move toward others.
So the invitation is simple. Yield the day to Jesus. Keep step with His word. Let the Spirit lead you to prefer others with a quiet heart. As we do, God’s love is matured within us, not as a medal we earn, but as fruit He grows.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I call you to perfect love, and I supply what I command. Whoever keeps My word, in that one My love is made complete. I pour My love into your heart through the Holy Spirit. You have been crucified with Christ, and the life you live is by faith in the Son of God. I work in you to will and to do for My good pleasure.
Abide in Jesus. Let His words abide in you. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another, and forgive each other. Above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Present your body to Me as a living sacrifice. Be renewed in your mind. Follow the way of love, since you are dearly loved children. As you set your mind on things above, I keep you in peace and make you abound in love for one another and for all.
Scripture references: 1 John 2:5, Romans 5:5, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:13, John 15:4 to 10, Galatians 5:16, Colossians 3:12 to 14, Romans 12:1 to 2, Ephesians 5:1 to 2, Colossians 3:1 to 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, Isaiah 26:3.
Real-Life Analogy
A wireless charger does not demand effort from the phone. You simply set it down, and the current flows. When I rest my attention on the Lord, the Spirit of Jesus supplies love that moves toward the person in front of me. The current is not from my reserves. It is from Him.
Try this today. Before you answer the text that could turn tense, pause and look to the Lord. Say, Lord, I trust You to love through me right now. Then reply with patience and clarity, letting His kindness shape your words.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that Your love is being perfected in me as Your word abides and Your Spirit leads. Thank You that in Jesus I have a new heart that can move toward others with grace. I receive this day as a place for Your love to be seen. Lord, I trust You to express Your love through me in each conversation and task.