Day 48: Trouble Knows No Bounds

2 Corinthians 5, 6, 7

Have you ever felt that you just couldn’t take whatever life was dishing out to you?  Have you ever felt that you are being pushed to your limit and you might fall apart from the pressure?  Do you ever curse your sorrows and troubles?  Well, you shouldn’t.  In fact, you should rejoice in them and commend others in them.

⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:4-10

Why?  I can honestly believe that it is these challenging life moments, that makes us turn to God.  When we come to a breaking point, we are faced with no other alternative but to turn to God and submit what frail body is left and earnestly beg for forgiveness – we repent.

Dear Lord, let us not come to the repenting of our sins, merely because we feel that we can’t do it alone.  Strike in my own heart, reliance on your promise of salvation.  Make me unashamedly turn to you for everything.  Thank you for allowing me to trust and love You.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Day 45: Love is…

1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14

We’ve all heard this recited in wedding vows:

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

But why?

When reading over Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, it is apparent that Paul loves them.  He wants to explain that love is the greatest spiritual gift.  Without love, there is no purpose, there is no reason.  Paul even explains that things done without love, is only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal, is nothing and gains nothing.

The definition of love in verses 4 – 7, is not just for husbands and wives, but is to serve as a reminder of what love is.  There aren’t volumes to it, there aren’t trick questions for it either….love is love.  Unconditionally.

Lord: How great is this gift that you have given us – of love.  I pray for humility, to be able to pull back thoughts and feelings of anger, disappointment and hurt – and remember what exactly love is.  It’s not just for when it is easy.  Love can be one of the most difficult things that you have ever been asked to do.  Lord, create in me a still heart, so that I may be able to remember the love that I was shown – and to have a desire to love all others.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Day 43: Knowledge v. Love

1 Corinthians 6, 7, 8

With the knowledge bestowed upon us, by being believers in Christ, we have a huge responsibility to those of weaker faith or of no faith at all.  It is through their lack of knowledge that God decided to exemplify his love.  We are expected to lead a life, in accordance to God’s will, which we continue to fight in everything we do, that is of this world.

I realize that as a Christian, to hate and want to seek revenge, not only diminishes God but my faith as well.

We know that we all possess knowledge.^[a] Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ²The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. ³But the man who loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3

We are instructed to do everything out of love, for if we do it out of man’s knowledge – we can lead those who are weak in their faith astray.  Paul warns those of Corinth of this exact problem.

⁹Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? ¹¹So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹²When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Dear Lord, I am imperfect in my faith – and it is apparent in the way I act, think and talk.  Allow me to understand the perils and the warnings that the Corinthians received on how we are to lead a more Christ-like life.  I ask that these warnings pierce my heart for to be a better witness of my faith.  I resolve to seek the Lord’s will in everything I do: to love others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Day 40: Love Is The Way

Romans 11, 12, 13

Have you ever struggled with showing love?  Love is not just for those you get along with.  Love is not just for those you want to love.  True love is for all to give & receive.  I’ve lately been struggling with not being able to love and loving just those that I want to love.  As I struggle to find which way is right, I reflect on Romans 12.  Paul writes to the Romans on what love is.

⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[b]says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^{[c] 21}Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21

As a sense of guilt washed over me, I couldn’t help but feel confused.  How can one hate what is evil but also live at peace with everyone?  I am hurt and confused.  I am angry and bitter.  I am upset that she hasn’t asked for forgiveness.  I pray that I may receive a clearer answer – so that I may truly be able to approach this sensitive matter in the most Christ-like fashion.

Dear Lord, I humbly ask for your forgiveness in my hate and anger.  Spitefully, I seek revenge.  You have however, instructed us to overcome evil with good.  I pray that the Words I have read and the love that I know you have shown to all (whether it was deserved or asked) will soften my anger.  I beseech your wisdom on how to handle this petty matter of men. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Day 26: The Vine and the Branches

John 14, 15, 16

I wanted to focus today’s post on what Jesus tells his disciples about the vine and the branches.  It’s such a crucial part of our faith, to understand what it means to be fruitful. Reading the first 17 verses of chapter 15 was just a captivating way of understanding the explanation of the relationship that each and every one of us have with him.

¹“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other. John 15:1-17

Again, this goes to show that without Him we are nothing.  In return, all that he asks is to remain in His Word and to love each other.

Lord, we cross paths everyday, challenged by what you have instructed us to do.  Allow these words to sink deep into our hearts, so that we may live and breathe your command to us.  Let us be fruitful by remaining on the vine.  Help me to love those that cause me pain and suffering as your son was able to. Thank you for allowing me to trust in You. Amen.