God is Love

As we go through life we all feel the weight that the world bears down on us. We have to pass our exams, get ourselves through college, or fill the emptiness that we feel in ourselves.

 In 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8 it describes the characteristics of Love. It’s a verse you hear about often.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.”

 Though when we read this verse it tells us what Love is which is nice, but sometimes we can look at that verse and see the Law. We can look at what Love is supposed to be and we see how we don’t measure up to it.

Here’s another way to look at this verse

 In 1^st John 4:8 says that God is Love.

           

So if God is Love them that means…

“GOD is patient and kind; GOD does not envy or boast; HE is not arrogant or rude. GOD does not insist on [his] own way; HE is not irritable or resentful; HE does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. GOD bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

GOD never ends.”

 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8 doesn't only describe Love but also God. Look at the verse not as a list of things we need to do but what God has done for us.

           

I find that most soothing part come at the end, if you read it again. God always hopes and he hasn’t given up on you and never has and never will.

            We tend to try to work hard to be “good people” and we lose sight of the peace we have in Christ as our savior. We strive too hard and we can lose hope. We get tired. He can see when we are losing hope but what we really need to do is open our ears and hear Him calling to us through the Word.

           

            We fight way too much instead of giving ourselves to him. He always has us in his hands. (♩♪He's got the whole world in his hands♪♩). Sometimes we put ourselves in to dangerous situations with our thoughts and actions, like jumping into stormy waters. When we start to drown in our sin he will jump in and save us, wake us up to his love, no matter how many time we jump back in.

           

            God IS kind, God IS NOT easily angered and He KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

In times like these it’s God’s strength that shows in our weakness, that he can do anything and so can we through and with him. Even when we are at the end of our rope, or in the deepest of holes he has a way to get us out. We just can’t see it, but if we trust that he will in his own way that’s when we are free. We may fall many times but no matter how many or how hard we can always come running back to his wide open arms.

We don't need to live up to the perfect image but we do so as a way show others the love we have.

            We need to trust in him more and so we can be changed from the inside out, not because we're perfect or always right but because of His great love for us.

Fireflight’s song Forever has some lyrics that complement this idea very nicely. In fact they performed this song at a festival and I saw the video on YouTube which inspired this devo. 

CUAA Spiritual Life Welcome 2012 -Lucas

This the start of my Senior year here at Concordia University Ann Arbor and my second year on Spiritual Life. As freshman start moving in and returning students start coming back, I'm reminded of my first year and all the changes that I experienced. After sitting in the Student services building for a solid two hours running between financial aid and the business office, and missing the opening service I finally got to move in and attend the first residence hall meeting. While I was settling in, meeting my roommate, and wind down from all the excitement the realization hit me. I was now four hours away from my home, my friends and all the other aspects of the life that I had known for the past 18 years. I was starting out in unknown territory. With unknown territory comes a few wrong turns and bumps in the road. As the year went on many challenges were placed in front of me, picking my major, the deciding on what direction I wanted my career to go, the illness and death of two grandmothers and personal struggles to find who I am and what my life was worth. I can say that only through the Love of God was I able to make it out of that seemingly brief time. So as the 2012-13 school year starts I want to offer what insight I may be able to give into the challenges facing the freshmen and all other college students here and around the country. That is my goal for this blog and I hope the devotions that I post here will be filled with encouragement but most importantly the word of God through Scripture and, God willing, the Holy Spirit working through my thoughts and fingers.

 I hope and pray that God will motivate all of us to meet our goals,learn about our world and the people in it, as well as grow in our faith and our understanding of God and how we fit into his marvelous plan. With that I leave you with this, "Be the Change you want to see in the World" -Gandhi. Though he was not a Christian I think he was very close to seeing what is at the core of the Christian faith. We have been changed by Christ and because of this change, out of love, we want to share it with everyone. As people outside the faith look at you be the kind of person God is asking you to be, and do it in a way that makes people ask "What does he have that I don't" and let the answer be this, that you have the love of God in your heart and because of this love you want to share it with all so that they may know it and come to Christ. Not because of what we do but because of what he did. God Bless you this day and this year no matter where you are in life.