Hi friends, and thanks for joining us for another daily encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional.

Monica LaRose wrote today's reading and she titled it, Trustworthy Love.

Why can't I stop thinking about it?

My emotions were a tangled mess of sadness, guilt, anger, and confusion.

Years ago, I'd made the painful decision to cut ties with someone close to me.

After attempts to address deeply hurtful behavior were merely met with dismissal and denial.

Today, after hearing she was in town visiting, my thoughts had spiraled into hashing and rehashing the past. As I struggled to calm my

thoughts, I heard a song playing on the radio. The song expressed not just the anguish of betrayal,

but also a profound longing for change and healing in the person who'd caused harm. Tears filled my eyes as I soaked in the haunting

ballad giving voice to my own deepest longings. Love must be sincere. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 129, a reminder that not all

that passes for love is genuine. Yet our heart's deepest longing is to no real love. Love that isn't

self-serving or manipulative, but compassionate and self-giving.

Love that's not a fear-driven need for control, but a joyful commitment to each other's

well-being. And that's the good news, the gospel. Because of Jesus, we can finally know and share a love

we can trust, a love that will never

cause us harm. To live in His love is to be free.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Romans chapter 12 verses 9 through 21.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love.

Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are

in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who

rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud,

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