Today, I post a simple meditation, to help me do right, in a difficult time.
Love never Fails, Love is stronger than death!
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Amplified Bible (AMP)
4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
There you have it, God is love, and Jesus rose from the dead, and He is God. Love is stronger than death!
4 Love endures long and is patient and kind;
While you are enduring your present circumstances, know that God Himself gives you strength and grace to endure, and while you are enduring, to be kind to all those around you.
love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy,
When someone else has nicer things that you have, or appears to be endued with better looks, family, position, or material things in this life, God’s love, shed abroad in our hearts by the mighty Holy Spirit Himself, does not get envious, ever, and does not submit to the tyranny of unfulfilled expectations, jealousy.
is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
Love is not proud, but is teachable, and will glorify God in the good and the bad, giving testimony of Jesus glory, for His glory, where appropriate, but never with a motive to boast, be vainglorious, or in a haughty or arrogent way. We can dress well, with nice things from the Lord, without having to strut or impress others, simply, gratefully, because God gave it to us.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.
This is a verse I teach my children. We are to be bold in righteousness, confident in God and His gift in us, grateful for our ongoing accomplishments as we grow in grace, faith, strength and wisdom, but we are never to think more of ourselves, rather, to be great, we must think of ourselves, less. When tempted to butt in line, be pushy, short, and blunt with people, we remember that Jesus is in our hearts, and He in us, is not rude. He is holy, and will not act foolishly or unbecomingly, neither do we.
Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way,
We are not selfish, insisting on our own way, rather we give place to others, yet bold in walking God’s way! We stand up for truth and His rights, not our own!
for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
Our very motive of heart, must be God seeking, seeking Him first in our every decision, not self seeking. Always building the kingdom of God, not our own empire. When people push our buttons, or things are not appearing to go our way, we don’t act touchy, we don’t worry or fret, but deliberately take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, refusing to fret, whine or complain.
When people do us wrong, we are quick to forgive, and forget. We do not hold grudges, nor give people the silent treatment, stonewalling them out of our lives. We pay no attention to the wrongs they do to us, but deliberately guard our hearts and thought lives to think on what whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, that we pursue and walk in peace towards all men.
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
As we hear the Media broadcasting filth, injustice, and unrighteousness, we never rejoice in this, never laughing at an off color joke. We rejoice, when right and truth prevail.
When horrible things happen, even when God Himself executes judgements on wicked people on our behalf, fear God, and are warned, but seek love, mercy, forgiveness, and restoration for the offenders, not death and destruction.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,
We are strong! We can put up with anything that comes at us, anything and everything!
is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
When evil reports are told to us, even when factual, about other people, we use our faith, to believe the opposite of them. To believe the best of them, and for them, hoping, trusting God, and using our authority in the earth, to do all we can to make it easier for folks to do right. If they still have breath in their body, we never give up hoping and believing, without weakening.
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]
This is the way of faith, following Jesus, our way and way maker! He never fails, so we never fail either, now, or in eternity! Since faith works by love, it is critical to walk in love, if we want to see what we are actually believing God for, come to pass…
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray:
Father, your love is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit. You see what I face today, now I am trusting you to work in me to will and to do, of your good pleasure today, in your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
