"And
now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is
love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Chapter 13 goes one step further and
mentions the three gifts that are common for all Christians: ”faith, hope, and love.
Verse 13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love
Paul’s point is that, essentially,
faith, hope, and love are united; what happens to one happens to all. And what
happens is that they “remain.” Agape love is the ultimate gift it involves
faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the
other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love
is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13
I notice, as I get older, I feel more in a weak
position in many ways. My body lets me know that parts are tiring. My mind
seems to forget things that once were nearly routine. Before I retired, I
wondered about job security. Did I save enough that my finances will last just
one day longer than I last? Will I be able to afford the medications I need to
sustain my life with quality? Will I still be able to "get around" so
I do not become more isolated?
So many new challenges at
a time when I seem less able to meet them "Ever get the feeling your stuff
strutted off without you?" There is plenty to occupy the anxious Pensioner
mind and sometimes an interesting
question comes to my mind, "Does God love me?" While
people of faith often recognize that times of loss and heartache breed doubt
and despair, it is less recognized that times of success can feel hollow and
create the fertile ground for questioning meaning and purpose.
This usually happens when
we suffer or go through trials we briefly stop trusting God and harbored
bitterness in our hearts toward Him and question His goodness. Then I would say to myself,“ Some people (myself
included) create their own storms, and then get upset when it rains.
Then I would
wonder, “Why
doesn’t Satan ever get the blame? Scripture
says,” Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
” Never give
up on God because He has never given up on you.
The question
of whether God loves us – personally and individually – is common. Surrounded
by the conditional love of finite humanity, we cannot easily comprehend that
God would love us. We know our faults. We know that God is perfect and sinless.
We know that we are not. Why would God, who is infinite and holy, love us, who
are finite and sinful? And yet the great truth of the gospel is that He does!
Time and again,
Scripture
reminds us of God’s love for us. That is one of the primary ways You can stop doubting God’s love. By
being in the Bible daily. In order to stop doubting, trust must be built. But
it is hard to trust a stranger, or even an occasional acquaintance. When
salvation occurs and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in one’s heart, it is
just the beginning of a lifelong journey (and beyond) of getting to know God.
The second way You can stop doubting
God’s love is prayer. Prayer may be the most difficult discipline to develop
in the believer’s life, but it is also the most rewarding. Our reading of
Scripture should prompt our praying.
“In the first
year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the
word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of
Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God
and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and
ashes.
Daniel 9:2-3”.
The Bible
has a great deal to say about love. In fact, the Bible says that “love is of
God” and “God is love” 1 John 4:7-8; in other words, love is a fundamental
characteristic of who God is. Everything God does is impelled and influenced by
His love.
The Bible
says that God was motivated by love to save the world John 3:16 God’s love is
best seen in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf 1 John 4:9. And God’s love
does not require us to be “worthy” to receive it; His love is truly benevolent
and gracious: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
Faith, hope,
and love are the three gifts that will be ours throughout all eternity. God in
His goodness gives us the privilege of possessing these gifts today, and we
look forward to having them remain with us forever.
PRAYER: God our Father, we place all that troubles us at your feet. It
is more than we can deal with today. Thank you for accepting this disparaging
and inhibiting nervousness. And now please refresh our newly freed spirit, so
we can rise and be the people you intend for us to be. Thanks be to God Amen!
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