Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson: 1 Corinthians 13:13

March 10

"Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

We live in a transitory world. March days seem to make us especially aware that change seems to be the only thing permanent as winter gives way to spring. Seasons come and go as flowers appear and disappear. People enter and eventually leave our lives. Most of us long for some form of permanence and lasting security. But it seems elusive or non-existent in our modern world where change has seemed to accelerate ever more rapidly over the years. However, Paul assures us in his letter to the Corinthians that there are three things that are permanent and do last forever: faith, hope, and love.

However, in morally corrupt Corinth, the real meaning of love had been lost and was mixed up with lust which is temporary and fleeting. Today, our culture is still very confused about what real love truly is since we have only one word for love. The Greeks, however, had many words for love including Eros for physical love, Phileo for love between friends and Agape for the kind of unconditional love God manifests. Everlasting Agape Love is the greatest of all gifts and given to us by God through Christ. However, the experience of eternal everlasting Agape love is not possible without Faith and Hope as foundations which draw us closer to God and others.

When we fully embrace faith and hope, we can be freed to love unconditionally with agape love because we understand how much God loves us. We can then be secure no matter what happens to us or where we are. No matter what we have done, we can never be separated from God's eternal Agape Love given to us as an everlasting gift through Christ Jesus. Rest secure today then in God's eternal promises that “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Heb.13:5)

Prayer: Lord, thank for your eternal everlasting love. Help me to love others as you have loved me. Amen.

Meditation For The Day: God's Eternal Love liberates. Constant change intimidates.

Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)