April 30 Devotion - Love and Compassion

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands; you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

مِثْلَمَا أَحَبَّنِي الآبُ، أَحْبَبْتُكُمْ أَنَا، فَاثْبُتُوا فِي مَحَبَّتِي.

 ¹⁰ إِنْ عَمِلْتُمْ بِوَصَايَايَ، تَثْبُتُونَ فِي مَحَبَّتِي، كَمَا عَمِلْتُ أَنَا بِوَصَايَا أَبِي وَأَثْبُتُ فِي مَحَبَّتِهِ!

 ¹¹ قُلْتُ لَكُمْ هَذَا لِيَكُونَ فِيكُمْ فَرَحِي، وَيَكُونَ فَرَحُكُمْ كَامِلاً.

 ¹² وَصِيَّتِي لَكُمْ هِيَ هَذِهِ: أَنْ يُحِبَّ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً كَمَا أَنَا أَحْبَبْتُكُمْ.

John 15: 9-12

As followers of Christ, His love to us should direct us to love each other. Jesus commands us to love each other in the same way He loves us. As we know, Jesus loves us with a tender affection, willing to endure trials for us, willing to practice self-denial for our sake and He did lay down His life for us. Can we simulate that? On our own we cannot, but we can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.

عَزُّوا عَزُّوا شَعبِي

Isaiah 40:1

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ ، أَبُو رَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ، أَبُو الْمَرَاحِمِ وَإِلهُ كُلِّ تَعْزِيَةٍ،

 ⁴ هُوَ الَّذِي يُشَجِّعُنَا فِي كُلِّ ضِيقَةٍ نَمُرُّ بِهَا، حَتَّى نَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ نُشَجِّعَ الَّذِينَ يَمُرُّونَ بِأَيَّةِ ضِيقَةٍ، بِالتَّشْجِيعِ الَّذِي بِهِ يُشَجِّعُنَا اللهُ

2 Cor. 1:3–4

Last Monday in Toronto a man drove a van into pedestrians killing ten people and wounding sixteen. Tonight a Vigil was held for all the victims. Twenty five thousand people came together to comfort the victims’ families and to pray for those still being treated. It was great to see people having compassion for others and actually following God and Jesus’ commands and teachings.

Jesus teaches us to break the spirit of selfishness, and to have a benevolent regard for the happiness of others. Jesus teaches us to be kind to one another and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We need to be compassionate one to another in order to experience the benefit of God’s compassion toward us.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for comforting me, for sending Your Holy Spirit; the Parakletos, the comforter, to indwell in me. LORD help me and teach me how to comfort others with the comfort You have given me and are giving me. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can care about others as much as I care about myself and esteem others and be concerned for their interests.  God, teach me to be humble according to Your will and teach me to be compassionate and sympathetic to all Your children. Jesus, help me to obey your commands through the Holy Spirit which indwells in me. Thank You Lord for Your deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings, and for the riches of Your grace in my life. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You, I lift You up on high and I rejoice in You.In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, to Him be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, and unto ages of all ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein