Have a Tremendous Thankful Thoughtful Thursday!

Good morning my friends! I hope the day has found you smiling and drinking in the beauty of life itself. What a blessing we have been given! on my ride to work, I was listening to Moody Radio. I was in the midst of reflecting on my last 24 hours and talking with Our Father on what I was to do today when this song came on. I think the title is "One Thing Remains" . . . I found it by typing in the words 'his love never fails never gives up never runs out on me' into You tube. Love seemed to be the continual theme for the past 24 hours.
You see, yesterday I had taken a picture of a gift I had won the night before. It's a little plate with a verse out of the Bible on it. The Book quoted is First Corinthians and the quote itself is from Chapter 13 verse 13:

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I love my MacArthur Study Bible. My footnote goes on to explain: The objects of faith and hope will be fulfilled and perfectly realized in heaven, but love, the God-like virtue, is everlasting (cf.1st John 4:8) Heaven will be the place for the expression of nothing but perfect love toward God and each other. 

You know I cannot go on without taking a look at what the Book 1st John, Chapter 4 Verse 8 has to say:

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

So there you have it! God is Love. Love is God.

As often happens, when I am going where I am led by the Holy Spirit I am led to expand on the reading. My MacArthur Study Bible in the notes regarding Chapter 13, it shares this: Spiritual gifts were present in Corinth (1:7); right doctrine was even in place (11:2) but love was absent. This led to the quarrels and exhibitions of selfishness and pride that plagued the church - notably in the area of spiritual gifts. Instead of selfishly and jealously desiring showy gifts of which they don't have, believers should pursue the greatest thing of all - love for each other. This chapter is considered by many the greatest literary passage ever penned by Paul. It is central to his earnestly dealing with spiritual gifts (chapters 12 - 14), because after discussing the endowment of gifts (chapter 12) and before presenting the function of gifts (chapter 14) he addresses the attitude necessary in all ministry in the church (chapter 13).

With that insight, I say let's dive into Chapter 13 completely. I am quoting out of my MacArthur Study Bible.  Many of you have most likely heard or seen some of this content:

The Excellence of Love

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. 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. 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.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 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. 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. But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

I think that pretty much sums up Love. I don't know what one could possibly add to that to make it a larger statement! With the title of the day being "Tremendous Thankful Thoughtful Thursday" I guess I should end with one of those. Today I am thankful that when God leads me I am aware enough to listen and follow. 

May you take a moment today to bask in Our Father's Love for you. Open yourself up to the fact that you can do nothing to lose his love. We all have done wrong in our life. Our Father has already forgiven your trespasses . . . isn't it time you forgave yourself? You Too ARE Worthy. You just need to believe. I pray that you begin to feel God's love for you. I pray you begin to seek his Word. Romans is a great Book. I pray you  make the effort to what it says about you and who you are in Christ. I don't know where you are at in life or what you are struggling with but I pray you begin reading the bible. I pray you take the time to look up the topic that best deals with whatever is currently troubling you. Amen.

Have a Tremendous Thankful Thoughtful Thursday,

Wendy, Mom of Many



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