Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
As I write this it is Valentine’s Day. I am so blessed to have a woman in my life that not only puts up with me, but loves me! Vicki is a blessing that God brought into my life and she has taught me so much about loving others. She is truly a blessing.
The truth is that God has blessed me with so many people that have brought love into my life. Whether it was children, grandkids, sisters, parents, church family, and so many others; love has been a huge part of my life. I have truly been blessed.
Of course the greatest love that I have received is the love that God has given. In John 3:16, we see that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In my life that is what God has done. He loved me when I wasn’t lovable and loved me enough to stay beside me when He was raising me out of the spiritual struggles I experienced. His love truly makes the difference in my life.
Truth is, love is what makes the difference in all of our lives on a day to day basis. Love brings us through the struggles that come to us and gives us the reason to rise above where we have been. God’s love is that love which never fails.
Love brings so much into our lives as we go through each day. It seems to be that one thing that lifts us up when we are down, moves us forward when we don’t know what step to take and directs us on the path we need to walk.
God’s love for us shows us the way we need to love. His love goes beyond the struggles we face to direct us on the path that brings a greater fulfillment in our lives.
As I thought about what I wanted to write, my mind went to 1 Corinthians 13. I really didn’t know what I would say about it so I decided that I would put it in and let God speak. It says –
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Let God’s great love touch you today.
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!!
Christ only, always,
Bro. Paul
Brother Paul Nachtigall is the preacher at Highland Baptist Church. He can be reached at bropaul@centramedia.net.
