Love Never Fails...

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2

Living a life of love is the focus of my bible study today. I am currently reading Beth Moore's book, "Believing God" because I feel that for most of my life that I have believed IN God, but haven't really understood what it meant to just BELIEVE GOD. The difference is significant in a way that I never knew. The book focuses on some main principles, "God is who He Says He is" and "He does what he says", but now I am on "I can do all things through Christ".

The question of the day that Beth Moore asks is "Recognizing that love is more often an act of will than of heart, how do you react when we're succinctly told in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that love never fails? have you ever known love to fail? have you tried loving someone only to see it come to nothing?"

I feel as though this question speaks to my heart in numerous ways. God works through situations in our lives that may seem that love is failing us, but in actually God is working out is love for us, showing us how much he loves us and he is the truest form of love that there is. My heart, as you know has been through the wringer as far as love has been concerned this year, however, I still don't believe that love has failed me. I feel as though God has done the opposite and shown me the truest love in Him. He loved me enough to let me fall down and realize that He was the only one who could save me from myself. He loved me enough to pull me out of the pit and put my feet on solid ground! He saw me through the hurt that others gave me and put me solidly on a new place to begin from! I am so grateful just writing this because I now truly believe that I have come full circle. My faith is a mustard seed right now, but it will grow I know because I am able to realize the fullness of His love for me. Others who are not believers may account this as, "time heals all wounds" but time could never heal all the wounds that I inflicted on myself like bitterness, hurt, saddness, pain, and so much more. The things I have learned will affect future relationships in a positive way, not in a negative one. I can say without a doubt today that bitterness, hurt, pain, and saddness have no place in my life right now. God has healed them all. I am beyond grateful for where I am today... words could never express the gratitude.

Loving someone never comes of nothing. It only plants a seed that someone loves you like a mustard seed of faith for the future. You maybe a small part of the plan. I am grateful that I can know what its like to love someone and that it can never be contrived or planned. It can only come from God. Like all things it doesn't happen overnight. It takes consistant prayer and to be honest with you I am the queen of inconsistency in a lot of areas of my life. Loving someone through faith is much different than loving them by human effort. You have to undeniably trust that the Lord has a purpose and plan for each and every human on this earth and that it is His will that you love that person so that they may see the kingdom of God. If we all looked at every person that way, what a different world this would be, wouldn't it? We may all be frustrated when we don't see fruits of our labor of loving someone, but God does. He sees our faith and sees the groundwork being layed for the person you are loving through faith.

My prayer today is
Lord, it is said that you are supposed to love your enemies in your word. Lord, I ask that you allow me to see where love is needed and allow me to plant a seed of love through faith in you. I know I have been far away from you as of late. I need you and you alone to sustain my needs. I believe that you are the Father and I believe that you can save any wandering soul from their sins through love. Lord I ask you bless all who read this and let your love pour down onto them in a new and invigorating way. Lord I ask you to pour out your love on me as well as you allow me to embrace my singleness and the life you have for me. Allow me to be excited and hopeful for the future you have laid out. Lord I thank you for the journey you have laid out for me thus far, I look forward to where you are taking me. I trust you, I love you, I hope in you for ALL things. Thank you for all your blessings that I have recieved and will continue to recieve. Remind me that they ALL come from you and you give me nothing I can't handle through you. I love you, I love you, I love you... impermeate me with your love to pour out to others that I may meet along the street or at work or church... this is how your kingdom is revealed t hrough the love believers everywhere. Help me to find a new group of friends that are believers and that will allow me grow in faith with you. Help me to come to a point that I know without a doubt that I will be seeing you inside those heavenly gates someday... Lord, I want to be there!
Amen!