July 26, 2020

Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!

In this chapter Paul outlines for us the way of love, which he says is far greater than any spiritual gift we can possess or any righteous act we can perform. Paul says that if we have every spiritual gift and use it to its maximum potential, or if we possess the greatest faith and even give up our lives and ourselves in martyrdom, but do it without love in our hearts, all we are doing is making a bunch of noise: nothing is gained in the end. 

Paul tells us what genuine love looks like and that, in the end, love will be all that remains. As the church, we are to look to the coming kingdom with eager anticipation, and Paul reminds us here that all the spiritual gifts of this present age will pass away when the kingdom comes, because they will no longer be necessary. But love will endure forever, and we will live forever in the full light of God’s love. Even faith and hope will no longer be necessary in that day; we won’t have to hold on to belief or to hope, because we will be with the Lord! But love will endure.

Love is meant to characterize the entirety of our lives as believers. If our actions, words, and lives are not motivated by love for God and for others, we are not fulfilling the law of Christ. Those who have encountered the love of God in Jesus Christ show that love to other people, and Paul calls us here to the way of love!

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • Assess the way that you love God and others by Paul’s list of loves characteristics in verses 4-7. In what ways could your love look more like Christ’s?

19 thoughts on “Daily Devotional-July 26”

  1. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

    Jesus, radiate Your love through us today!

        1. AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! All things that we should do is love. Love is everlasting and everything to us and our God. In Jesus Christ name I pray Amen

  2. Father, God. I lift my husband, Ernest Hill, to you in prayer. He is in the hospital In Columbus MS since Monday supposedly with positive corona. He does have a severe UTI and upper respiratory problems. He is by himself. I can not be with him to help him be comfortable and bear all of this. I am home since Wednesday and have positive results on my test for Covid yesterday. He is 80. I am 74. We have been married 54 years…..but You know all this, Father….You know us. Please give us the individual strength to fight this battle by ourselves with only our cell phones to communicate and comfort and encourage each other. I am so very thankful he has his phone and can let me know what is happening with him. Keep him strong and determined to get well. Thank You, Father, for our blessings. Amen.

    1. Pat, we are praying for you and Ernest. May God give you both His strength and complete healing. Praise God that He is always with you.

    2. Mrs.Hill I am continually praying for the two of you. I do not attend y’all church I have been watching it for a few years first on TV and now on The Internet I feel like this is my second church even though I am not a member nor there in person. There is so much love and they bring the gospel to all. I live in Houma La. , may God continue to have his almighty have on both of you and thank him for healing you both of this virus Vickie Williams.

    3. God has put it on my heart to pray for you And your husband God’s blessings Delores

    4. Lord Jesus, I thank you for the love that Ernest and Pat have, and have shown others these past 54 years. Thank you for blessing them. I ask that you would be with them both during this time, that you would stop the effects of COVID-19 and heal them both. Lord Jesus, help them to cling to You more now than ever, to stand upon Your Word and Your promises. Thank you for healing them both and bringing them through this. In Your name I pray. Amen

  3. Lord Jesus as I accept your LOVE for me please help me demonstrate agape LOVE for all others especially to my wonderful extended family!

  5. Dear Heavenly Father,
    Thank You for loving us in a way far beyond measure. You have shown us what true love is. Oh, we can not fathom the length and breadth of Your love for it goes beyond infinity. I cant imagine a world without love. We have seen what hatred can do and we have to fight it with all our strength with love. Love will endure. It always has and it always will…just as You will endure for “God is love”. Help us to show Your boundless love to the world so they we can live in peace and harmony until You come again. In Jesus precious and holy name. Amen.

  6. Lord Jesus thank you for Your lessons on love. I lift up the Hills to You Lord. May they feel Your comfort and love each moment of each day. Heal them Lord. In Your Name Jesus I pray Amen.

  7. Heavenly Father – wrap your loving arms around Pat and Ernest as they navigate this time of the Corona Virus over distance and apart. Be by their side and give them the strength to persevere and have complete health restoration. In your name, Amen ?

  8. Our Father in Heaven, thank you for your love & care for your church/body of Christ & for us individually. We love because You first loved us. In these trying times & difficult days, help us to love one another more & more “that the world know/see you because of the love we have for one another”.

    Thank you Lord for your continued care for Pat & Ernest Hill. We as the body of Christ, continue to lift the up before You for strength & healing from COVID-19. They are not alone!

  10. Father, forgive me for insisting on my way. Help me love sacrificially like Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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