Reading: I Corinthians 13
My Verse: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (I John 4:7,8).
I attended the production of West Side Story this past weekend. As I watched the play the concept that really spoke to me was the theme of unconditional love between Maria and Tony. Yes, I enjoyed the singing and dancing - it was all fun, excepting the seemingly obligatory crassness that gets inserted into these productions! (but I digress!). The unrequited love of Maria and Tony spoke to me of Your love, LORD God. It reminded me that we love because You created us in Your own image and You are LOVE! To love someone unconditionally is only possible because we ARE in Your image!
We all love to see acts of kindness. Seeing love expressed between individuals brightens ones day. It draws us. It makes us smile and feel warm. Without thinking about it we seem to automatically be lifted up when loving acts of kindness are expressed before us. We are severely and sorely upset when we see acts of hatred. Even very tiny children react this way. It does not have to be taught. Unfortunately, as we age it becomes harder and harder for many to express their feelings of love. This ability seems to get beaten down by the world and so we bury those feelings inside. This is not what You meant for us LORD God.
You are love. I John 4:16 says "God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." Is this saying that if we truly love we are abiding in You, LORD God? Or is does this indicate that even amongst those who have rejected You glimpses of true love flash out? And when we see this we grab onto it because in truth it is a glimpse of Your love? Is this a glimpse of heaven?
Our verse says "love is from God." All things are from You, LORD God. You gave us this ability to love. Because we are of You, love is present in our lives whether or not we have given ourselves to You. Unfortunately, because of our fallen nature and willful selfishness we mess it up terribly and in too many instances this love ends in tragedy.
You plead with us throughout Your Word to love You and to love one another.
"The LORD Your God is in your midst, a mighty one Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).
"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me" (Proverbs 8:17).
"A new commandment, I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).
I thank You, LORD God, for love. I thank You, for giving us this wonderful ability, however marred it has become.
"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever" (Psalm 136:26).
I thank You, LORD God that this love is forever. All else will pass away but this love of Yours will "endure forever." And so throughout this world's history we will be drawn to the great stories of unconditional love, however tragic their ending may be. We will be drawn to love stories because they, like so much in our physical world are a glimmer of You, LORD God.
Thank You for these bits of brightness in this ever darkening world that remind us of You, LORD God! Thank You for works of art like West Side Story that help to remind us that despite the pain that often comes with it, to love is far better than to hate or to not love.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (I John 4:7,8).
I attended the production of West Side Story this past weekend. As I watched the play the concept that really spoke to me was the theme of unconditional love between Maria and Tony. Yes, I enjoyed the singing and dancing - it was all fun, excepting the seemingly obligatory crassness that gets inserted into these productions! (but I digress!). The unrequited love of Maria and Tony spoke to me of Your love, LORD God. It reminded me that we love because You created us in Your own image and You are LOVE! To love someone unconditionally is only possible because we ARE in Your image!
We all love to see acts of kindness. Seeing love expressed between individuals brightens ones day. It draws us. It makes us smile and feel warm. Without thinking about it we seem to automatically be lifted up when loving acts of kindness are expressed before us. We are severely and sorely upset when we see acts of hatred. Even very tiny children react this way. It does not have to be taught. Unfortunately, as we age it becomes harder and harder for many to express their feelings of love. This ability seems to get beaten down by the world and so we bury those feelings inside. This is not what You meant for us LORD God.
You are love. I John 4:16 says "God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." Is this saying that if we truly love we are abiding in You, LORD God? Or is does this indicate that even amongst those who have rejected You glimpses of true love flash out? And when we see this we grab onto it because in truth it is a glimpse of Your love? Is this a glimpse of heaven?
Our verse says "love is from God." All things are from You, LORD God. You gave us this ability to love. Because we are of You, love is present in our lives whether or not we have given ourselves to You. Unfortunately, because of our fallen nature and willful selfishness we mess it up terribly and in too many instances this love ends in tragedy.
You plead with us throughout Your Word to love You and to love one another.
"The LORD Your God is in your midst, a mighty one Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).
"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me" (Proverbs 8:17).
"A new commandment, I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).
I thank You, LORD God, for love. I thank You, for giving us this wonderful ability, however marred it has become.
"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever" (Psalm 136:26).
I thank You, LORD God that this love is forever. All else will pass away but this love of Yours will "endure forever." And so throughout this world's history we will be drawn to the great stories of unconditional love, however tragic their ending may be. We will be drawn to love stories because they, like so much in our physical world are a glimmer of You, LORD God.
Thank You for these bits of brightness in this ever darkening world that remind us of You, LORD God! Thank You for works of art like West Side Story that help to remind us that despite the pain that often comes with it, to love is far better than to hate or to not love.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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