Love never gives up,
never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (I Corinthians 13:7 NLT)
Are you at the end of your rope? In this portion of scripture, at the
very end of this list of the characteristics of love, the Bible reveals to us
the enduring aspect of love. Without
love it is very difficult, maybe impossible, to stand through the trials that
all believers experience.
Some of you reading this devotional are
so emotionally down that you have a hard time even praying. You want to have hope and faith, but no
matter how hard you try, it is just not there.
You look around you at a world that is swirling around you that you have
no ability to control. And when you cry out in your distress, God seems
strangely quiet.
Normally, in these types of situations,
we Christians ask the Lord for one of two things. We plead for Him to deliver
us and take us out of these situations. And some times he does but not always.
Or we ask Him for perseverance, to just get us through our difficulties. Maybe
in these circumstances we should pray for more love. What drove Jesus to endure the cross? It was love for His Father and love for you
and me. As love increases in our hearts
so will hope, faith, and endurance, because they are part of what love is. Obtaining these Christian graces as a by-product
of His love will speak to us and to all who observe; It is not about our
capacity to keep ourselves, but His ability to keep us. We get sustained in our time of need, love
has grown in our hearts, and most importantly, God gets the glory. Our sovereign Lord doesn’t waste any of our
tears.
Ken
Barnes, the author of “The
Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email:
kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
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