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Monday, November 17, 2014

November 17 "This Grace of Love" I Corinthians 13

These beautiful gifts. The Grace of Love.
Patience. Kindness. Faith-filled. Sacrificial. I Cor 13:1-3.
Never self-seeking to the hurt or neglect of others.
Most scholars agree that what is meant by "charity" in this chapter is not our "common use" of the word *love*. 

"Love in its fullest meaning is True Love to God and man." Matthew Henry. Volumes could be penned about the glorious gifts of love.  For it looks like Christ and nothing can contain all the words that could have been written about Him. 

In our day, love looks like wide-open hands, lavish-generous acts, beautiful encouraging words.  But.  Without Love, all our good behavior accounts us for nothing.  Noisy gongs.  Clanging cymbals.  Shallow words.  Empty lives.  We sit to eat and fellowship; we stand to live hollow ways.  It is a heart issue:  everything, all-encompassing, done from Love to God and goodwill to all men. 

We cannot withhold our hearts from God, from our husband, from our children, from our families, from our friends, from our ministry, from our church, from our neighbors, from our world nor from any stranger.  If we do, we live a delusion, "looking for acceptance and reward for our good works which is as scanty and defective as they are corrupt and selfish."  Matthew Henry

Oh! to live a life of Divine Love!  It is our calling.  A call to never give up loving. 

Matthew Henry posed the question: "Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behavior to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer."

COME BOLDLY:  Timeless Prayers - Dear Father, What would it look like to love, truly love our world this day?  Would it mean that I made that phone call?  Would it mean that I collected all my words for a few and stored them in the vault of my prayers only?  Would it mean that I laid down these longings to be someone else?  What do I need to "let go" of this day, this Grace of Love?

PHOTO: Sunrise on the Lake. This Grace of Kove. Clean slate every rise. 

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