Lord, I need love!
Scripture reading for August 17th: 1st Corinthians 13, Psalm 14, Proverbs 9
1st Corinthians 13: 1-8 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
Because of sin and selfishness, mankind is bankrupt when it comes to God’s kind of love. We can have all sorts of talents and gifts, but without agape love, the love that gives to help another, they are meaningless. We often lack patience and kindness with others. Envy and boasting cause division and strife. Resentment and irritation come out of us instead of blessing and rejoicing and long-suffering. Fortunately, God’s love becomes available to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our spiritual growth after new birth by faith is governed by our growth in learning to love like our Lord. Lord help me to love like you!
Psalm 14:2-3 “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is none that does good, not even one.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the greatest gift, Your amazing agape love! I receive it and embrace my need to grow in my ability to love You and others. Fill me daily with the Holy Spirit. Give me opportunity to share love. Keep me from folly, the loud and seductive voices of this world that try to use me in unloving ways of impatience, irritation, resentment and strife. I am glad Your love never ends!
Proverbs 9:13-16 “The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!””
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