Treasuring our Treasure
A “must” for each day is to have daily devotional times together. It includes reading from our One Year Chronological Bible. If we want wisdom, divine guidance, and God’s favor, then studying God’s Word daily, and acting upon it, is surely a key to success.
We take turns reading – me, the Old Testament reading and Carl, the New Testament, a Psalm and a Proverb. We read it every day. We’re intentional with catching as much as we can and underlining words or phrases that stand out to us.
It is truly the love letter God intended it to be. It is our “go to” place for finding direction on which way to go or what to do. Because I have many “go-to” scriptures and because I know many stories from the Bible, I take those words for granted and gloss over the words or think I already know everything there is to know about that verse or chapter.
It may be the same for you. We hear God’s words spoken to us when we attend church or a Bible Study, but even those times, we may find ourselves speed-reading through familiar words or skipping a section altogether because we think we know it so well.
Our enemy is a sly fox, and he loves it when we “speed-read” through God’s love messages to us. He knows that when we are basking in God’s love, we are not playing his games of ugliness, bitterness, loneliness, woe-is-me-ness, sadness, and weakness.
We still have a few more days in this love month. I am stirred up about how important it is to NOT speed-read through the greatest love explanation that was ever written: 1 Corinthians 13.
If only we practiced what we heard and learned. Would you join me in reading these words today as if you’re seeing them for the very first time? Please try! And try, inserting your name where “Love” is said. For example: “Donna is patient and kind; does not envy or boast.”
“Love is patient and kind; does not envy or boast;
Love isn’t arrogant or rude; doesn’t insist on its own way;
Love isn’t irritable or resentful; doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing;
Love rejoices with the truth; bears all things; believes all things;
Love hopes all things; endures all things. Love never fails.” {1 Corinthians 13:4-7}
Throughout the entire chapter, love is an action word, not an emotion. Love is something we do. It’s a game changer. At all times, regardless of circumstances, we’re called to love others. And not just others, we’re called to love our enemies! (Gasp!)
Thanks be to our Lord who loves us enough, not just to command us to love others, but He showed us how. We love as God loves us. Tall order, but I want to live like that!