HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this beautiful "hump day". I'm doing well, and am very blessed. It's amazing how much I'm calming down, as I get older. I guess you could say that I'm a very passionate person, so when I’ve started a task, I don't stop until it is done. If it isn’t done, I'm constantly thinking of ways to get it done, leaving me restless until it's completed. It's getting better, but in some cases worst, because I’m much more meticulous now. However, with maturity, I understand that things will only happen in God's perfect timing, I can't make it happen any faster. When we jump ahead of God, things tend to get all screwed up, believe me I know. The best day of my life was when I finally realized this: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7) You mean to tell me that this is all I had to do to get a little peace? Well praise God for that! God is so wonderful, and I'm so in love with Him! Would you say that you're "in love" with God? If your answer is no, then the only way to fall in love with Him is to make an effort to get to know who He is. Have a wonderful day family, and be blessed!
Today's scriptures are about walking in love. There's one thing that say you love someone, then there's another thing to actually Love someone. The Apostle Paul describes love as the "Greatest Gift", and I fully agree with him on that. The ability to love is a wonderful privilege, which many of us take for granted. In Paul’s letter, he reminded us that yes he could speak in tongues, had the gift of prophecy, and had enough faith that could move a mountain, but without love he was nothing. He also wrote that he could’ve given everything he had to the poor, and sacrificed his body to be burned, but without love it "profits him nothing". I love the Apostle Paul’s epistles, because he's straight forward, and I think that's because he's experienced both sides of the spectrum. He experienced evil and hatred, as well as the love of Christ, so he knows exactly what the average human being goes though. He pretty much lets us know that it's not what you do, but how you do it. There's no need to do anything, if you're not doing it out of love.
The King James versions used the word "charity" in the place of love. Charity is a word we use to describe giving to a worthy cause. It doesn’t matter if it's your time, material possessions, or money. Charity is considered all of the things we give from the heart, but don't expect anything in return. I end all of my devotionals with telling you that "I love you", and I mean that. I love each of you, even those of you I’ve never met. I love you because you are a child of God. I want you to have the best out of life, and experience everything that God has to offer, because Jesus is in my heart, and that's just what happens when we surrender to Him. I can honestly say that I don't hate anyone, nor carry any grudges. If I see you on the street in need, and I'm able to help I would, and it doesn't matter what type of history we have. That's what it means to walk in love. When Jesus said Love your neighbor as yourself, there was no clause with that. He never said, “Love your neighbor unless…" or "only if…”
Paul writes: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails... (1 Cor. 13:4-8) Love is a very powerful thing! It gives us strength to take another step, when we're in so much pain that it feels like we can't go on. It allows us to stay humble, since we're able to think of someone other than ourselves, because we're not looking to be served, but to serve. It allows us to see the good in everything and everyone, since we're seeing things through the eyes of the Lord, because He is love! Love allows everyone to see God in us, because we're calmer, happier, and more peaceful, so it shows in the way we interact with people. When we love someone we can't envy them, because we only want what's best for them, so we're happy when they're blessed. Having true love in our heart allows us to see the error of our ways, so we're very much convicted when we're doing wrong, and we feel good inside when we do right.
In my opinion the most important part of these verses is "Love never fails". What did Paul mean by that? How many of us have been hurt, or let down by someone who claimed that they loved us? Paul goes on to say: ...But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. (1 Cor. 13:8-10) We are currently in the flesh, so we're tempted, tried, and tested often, and sometimes we fall short. Our once carnal mind is what allows us to still hate, anger, hurt, lie, envy, be selfish and unforgiving, and God understands that. The love of Jesus Christ is what will help us overcome those things, and like Paul says, "Put away our childish ways". The unconditional love that he spoke about comes with Spiritual maturity. We have to practice saying, "you hurt me but I'm going to love you anyway", that's where the "as we forgive those who trespass against us" part of the Lord's Prayer comes in. There are so many different things that could set us off, because we're only human, but always remember God's love never fails. When we're continually reminded of that, then we can truly walk in love, and God will take care of the rest. He's our protector, provider, and healer, so what more could we ask for?
It doesn't matter who you are or what you’ve done in the past, saved or unsaved, God loves you. We all have experienced our fair share of ups and downs, and the number one question of the unbeliever or the lost believer, is "If God loves me why did he let this (or that) happen?" and that's a question that only He could answer. However, God has a reason for everything, and only self-examination, and consistent fellowship with Him will reveal that. The key to receiving real love is to pray and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life; I promise He won't let you down. There are many people that have, and will, but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. My favorite verse today is: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455406&dtype=Scripture
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I love you!
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