For almost 70 years I have heard the Bible expounded in thousands of sermons. I’ve studied it in theological college, pondered it in discussion groups, and read it through more times than I can remember. Even so, it still has power to surprise and bless me. There is always something to ignite faith, or refresh the spirit; to challenge the heart, or restore the soul; to quicken the mind, or even inspire the imagination. Peter described Scripture as ‘the living and enduring word of Yahweh’ [1 Peter 1:23]; Stephen said of Moses, ‘he received living words to pass on to us’ [Acts 7:38]; the writer of Hebrews wrote, ‘the word of Yahweh is alive and active’ [Hebrews 4:12]. As we read the Word, its life is life-changing!
Recently, I read the great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. What an extraordinary chapter it is! Impassioned, poetic, and challenging, it seldom fails to touch my heart, enriching and testing me as it comes alive! “Love…is not irritable..” [v5, Christian Standard Bible] I read, and the warning flashed in my heart. How often must I try to control feelings of irritability? I wondered what the word actually means. I found: ‘not easily provoked’ [King James Version]; ‘not overly sensitive and easily angered’ [Amplified Bible]; ‘not touchy’ [J.B. Phillips]. Convicted, I spent time praying about it. Then, sure enough, later that same day, there was a huge, time-consuming situation where the earlier prayer gave me inner strength and peace. The Word of Yahweh is a living word!
Charles Spurgeon, commenting on this chapter, describes love as having ‘four sweet companions’, which he names as tenderness, faith, hope and patience. “Love…bears all things (tenderness), believes all things (faith), hopes all things (hope), endures all things (patience)” [v7]. Spurgeon writes, “This love is not the prerogative of a few, but it must be the possession of all believers” [italics added].
A reality check is something which shows you that the real situation is different from what you believed or hoped. The ‘love chapter’ has been this for me many times. I recommend we read it regularly, allowing the living Word space and time to bring us to perfection.
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You Are The BranchesClick to see the whole passage:
1 timothy 3:16 NIV - Beyond all question, the mystery from - Bible Gateway
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