(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)
Deuteronomy 10:17b “He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.”
Think of a time when you were in a normal, day to day situation but then something out of the ordinary occurs. For example, maybe you were grocery shopping, and right when you turned a corner you discovered a homeless person with a few bills fisted in one hand as he feverishly looked over the prices on the shelf to see how much could be purchased. Or maybe you were out for a walk and you saw a young mother screaming at her child for jumping in a small puddle of water.
When these kinds of unexpected or unplanned events occur in our lives, there are often few options. On the one hand, you can gain a sudden interest in your shoes and keep your eyes downward as you walk past. On another hand, you can make eye contact, pray to see the extraordinary beauty within them, and find a way to speak with them and bless them.
To love others in the way God loves us is to do the latter. It’s to see all people without partiality. To show them they are worthy of love.
READING & PRAYERS:
DEUTERONOMY 10:17-19 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: In what ways can you prepare yourself to more regularly and actively “love the strangers” you come across?
DIGGING DEEPER: Begin keeping count of how many strangers you run into on a daily basis. What changes may you need to make to begin seeing them and interacting with them in a way that says, “I see you. God loves you.”?
Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I’m beginning to realize that even though it may be unrealistic for me to pause and interact with every person I come across each day, it is realistic for me to pause and interact with some of them. Provide me with wisdom, grace, and mercy to share Your love with others and to not show partiality. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(End with 1-2 minutes of silence.)
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