Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 2, 2015
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Love is the highest and best motivation. Like beauty pageant contestants, faith and hope accompany love as the top three finalists, but love is crowned the winner. It reigns because it brings out the very best in the lover and the one being loved. Similar to an invisible force field, love protects us from ourselves and compels us to give ourselves to others. It generates goodwill and garners trust. Yes, love is the pinnacle of the Lord’s expectations because it points to Christ.
Love is loyal when most are disloyal. Love steps up when some step away. Love believes the best and doesn’t think to assume the worse. Love looks out for the interests of loved ones above its own needs. Love loves when unloved, love loves when lonely and love loves when loved. Love loves the unlovely, the unconcerned and the underutilized. Love looks for potential where impatience sees disappointment. Love is the Lord’s lubricant for relations to run smoothly.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
What is your primary reason for relating to people? Is it to be loved or to love? Fortunately, when we are free to love without expecting anything in return, we are fulfilled by love’s fruit. Indeed, the glorious grace of God does not stand still when you run to love one starved of compassion. Hallelujah, your gift of love invites the Holy Spirit to shed His love across the landscape of your heart and soul. Like kudzu, the seeds of love grow in places we cannot fathom.
Furthermore, make sure your motivation for love is inspired out of your intimacy with your Heavenly Father as you commune with Christ. The more consistent your love relationship with Jesus, the more capacity you have to love. To the extent you are loved well by the Lord, you will love well. The world’s noise drowns out the gentle words of Jesus, “I love you,” but in your daily quiet time you hear and feel His presence. God’s love motivates you to love with intentionality!
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, lead me to love motivated by Your gracious and generous love.
Related Readings: John 15:12; Romans 5:8, 10; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 3:6; 1 John 4:7-21
Tweet this today: The more consistent our love relationship with Jesus, the more capacity we have to love. #motivatedbylove #WisdomHunters
Worship Resource: 5 minute video- Bethel: You Know Me
Today’s reading is from Boyd’s newest devotional book Two Minutes in the Bible for Men. Pre-Order now!
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Thank you for today’s word. Once again I read exactly what I needed to start this day new in love.