Today’s Reading:
Psalm 145
James 1
Our hearts bubble over as we celebrate the fame of your marvelous beauty, bringing bliss to our hearts. We shout with ecstatic joy over your breakthrough for us. You’re kind and tenderhearted to those who don’t deserve it and very patient with people who fail you. Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness.
Psalms 145:7-8 TPT
I heard the Spirit of the Living God say,
Lead with love. Let love be the instinct and the impulse of your heart — not fear, not suspicion, not guile, not criticism or judgement, but love. To have a life that abounds with love, your heart must lead with love first. It must be love first, questions later. This is the way of Jesus.
God, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do. Everything you have made will praise you, fulfilling its purpose. And all your godly ones will be found bowing before you. They will tell the world of the lavish splendor of your kingdom and preach about your limitless power. They will demonstrate for all to see your miracles of might and reveal the glorious majesty of your kingdom.
Psalms 145:9-12 TPT
Love doesn’t mean you’re best friends with everybody. Love doesn’t mean you even trust them. Love is the outreach of your heart to another to say, “you are worthy because my God made you. You are valuable, and I see you. You deserve honor, because honor is the way of the Kingdom.” Extend grace, because grace has been extended to you. Extend a smile, because I Am smiling over you. Reach out a hand, because My hand is always extended to you and working on your behalf. This is love. This is the way of the Kingdom.
You are the Lord who reigns over your never-ending kingdom through all the ages of time and eternity! You are faithful to fulfill every promise you’ve made. You manifest yourself as kindness in all you do. Weak and feeble ones you will sustain. Those bent over with burdens of shame you will lift up. You have captured our attention and the eyes of all look to you. You give what they hunger for at just the right time. When you open your generous hand, it’s full of blessings, satisfying the longings of every living thing.
Psalms 145:13-16 TPT
As you step into the favor I have given you, extend your favor to another. This is the beautiful rhythm and sustaining joy of being in the Kingdom. Love multiplies, and as it is poured out, it spurs others on to extend their hands in good deeds as well. Be moved by My Spirit from the resting place of My love. And watch what happens. Watch what favor and abundance comes back to you, multiplies to you, manifests for you — because you lead with love.
How to Respond
- Trust the Lord, and discipline your heart to lead with love.
- Pray, Lord, help me to rewire my instincts and my heart, so that love is the first impulse rather than suspicion, fear or criticism. Help me to continually live with an awareness of Your love, Your smile, Your favor to me, so that it becomes easy and natural for me to extend the same to others. I want to live in the reality and principles of Your Kingdom.
- Declare, True spirituality that is pure in the eyes of our Father God is to make a difference in the lives of the orphans, and widows in their troubles, and to refuse to be corrupted by the world’s values.
— James (Jacob) 1:27 TPT - Decree, I will discipline my mind and heart to lead with love. I will choose to extend love and kindness first and ask questions later. I will live with an awareness of my loving Father’s favor, kindness, smile and hand being extended to me. So it will be easy for me to extend those same gifts to others. I will see a multiplication of love, favor and abundance in my life, because sowing and reaping is the way of the Kingdom.
For more encouragement from The Glory & New Wine, check out the post from this day in years past:
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