“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 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.”
–1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
–1 John 3:16-18

“We loved because he first loved us.”
–1 John 4:19

In their well-known 1967 song, the Beatles declared that “all you need is love”. But they were talking about love in strictly human terms. We have an entirely different, all-encompassing form of love to share with you, and we hope you’ll begin to share that love with others.

We have all experienced many different kinds of love for others. There is the warm and unconditional love of family, the joyful love for friends, compassion for other people in the world, and the loving admiration of our personal heroes. But the greatest love of all is shown by the sacrifice God made for us. He gave us His only son, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Because God knows all about love, human and otherwise, we can ask Him how to show our love to others more effectively.

In order to bring forth God’s love in our own lives, we must carry a larger picture of Him in our hearts, and this can only be done through worship. You may think of worship in terms of the songs you sing at church, or an outward show of praise towards God. But, my friend, worship means focusing on Him all of the time. Think about the lyrics to an old and famous worship song: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

I challenge you to focus on Jesus and God’s love today, wherever you are. For He is the author of all of the love we have spoken about in this devotion. Let Him bless you and show you just how much He loves you, with a depth you have never known, and His love will overflow into the hearts and lives of others!

This ministry is supported by you. If you feel that God may be putting this on your heart, please prayerfully consider getting involved. To donate, go to www.hcma.org and use ID number 560. Thank you, and may God bless you with a wonderful week!