I woke up this morning with the words to "One Thing Remains" going through my mind. I immediately started thinking of different ones I've been praying for that need to remember this.
Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains,
Yes, one thing remains.
Your love never fails,
It never gives up
It never runs out on me
No matter what we are going through, we have His love. Life changes but God doesn't. Life can throw us 'curve balls' but God is always our Home Run! It doesn't matter how many times we slide into a base He is there to pick us up. When the enemy tries to take us out, He is there to draw us deeper in our faith. There are times when we need help to get through 'tough days' and God sends us a 'pinch hitter' to show us His strength through them. He is a tremendous Coach as we go through life. He is our Constant and our Greatest Encourager. He is cheering us on as our Greatest Fan. The more we practice and participate, the closer we will become to our goal of spending eternity with Him. This goal will not just happen. It takes work. It takes living a life committed to Him. It takes loving people with His love. It takes listening to Him and following what He says. It takes accepting His love and leaning into it more as the 'tough' days occur. I was taken to I Corinthians 13 this morning. As I read this familiar passage, I added 'God's' before the word love. It read like this...
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have God's love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have God's love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have God's love, I gain nothing. 4 God's Love is patient, God's love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 God's Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 God's Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and God's love. But the greatest of these is God's love. (NIV)
God gives us the example of how His love should look in us. People who do not live out His love will not spend eternity with Him. It does not matter how 'good' they try to be. They are nothing with His love. Verse twelve is one I think gets passed over easily. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Even when we live in His presence here on earth it will be nothing compared to living in His presence in heaven. We are only getting a glimpse of Him while we are on this earth. I know I am loving living in His presence here. I cannot imagine what it will be like to live in it in heaven. I experience His love every moment of every day in a way that enables me to be empowered to stand up against the enemy, love those He puts before me, be focused on Him, be physically empowered to do what He puts before me, etc. I am so ready to experience walking side-by-side with Him in heaven. There are many days I am tired and worn but thank God His love empowers me to not only get through those days but to be blessed through them.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Paul's words this morning in I Corinthians 13. This chapter is known as the 'love chapter' but too many times I think people see it as their love for one another instead of Your love for us. Thank You for Your love that empowers me to live out each day. I pray my days are being lived out as You desire. I pray You will cleanse me today so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your love. I pray Your words, actions, and attitude will be mine today. Father, I pray against the pain Doc is having. I pray for Your touch upon His body. I also thank You for Sandie being moved closer to home and David's good test results yesterday. I pray You will continue to be with Gay and her family along with others who have lost loved ones in these last weeks. I also pray for Your love to come down upon Barbie and Chris in a new, different way. Thank You Jesus for being My Home Run! Amen.
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