Thursday, October 17, 2013

#PerfectLove

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When I was instructed to turn to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 by a devotional I was reading this morning, I was almost tempted to skip right on over it.  'I've read it a million times,' I thought, 'I don't need to read this verse right now.'  But God leading, I did turn to it and read:

"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."

As I was reading, God was whispering to my heart, "Katrina, stop.  Examine your heart.  Open it to my Word today.  Do YOU love?"  I have to be honest here that as my eyes fell over many of those descriptions of love breathed by God, my heart whispered back, 'No Lord.  I do not.  I don't love like this."  Then, tempted to hang my head in shame, He led me to turn to Psalm 136:1...

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, His love endures forever."


"Give thanks to the Lord" because I fail to love according to His Word?  No.  "Give thanks to the Lord" because HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!


Wow, what an awesome God we serve!  Despite the fact that we don't love the way He instructs.  Despite the fact that we mess this up on a daily basis.  Despite the fact that we don't reciprocate to Him the same love He gives us.  He still loves us perfectly.  And He ALWAYS will.  Isn't that amazing and incredibly comforting?!  God used my imperfect love today to sink deeper into my heart His truth of unending #perfectlove for us.

Lord, I thank you today for your #perfectlove.  I thank you that you hold nothing back from the love you give, even though we continually mess up.  Lord, your Word says your love endures forever.  What an awesome God you are!  May thanks forever by on our lips and in our hearts proclaiming to the world your unending, perfect love!  In Jesus name, Amen.

Are you struggling today with knowing in your heart that God loves YOU?  Maybe you find yourself like I was - failing to meet the requirements of 1 Cor. 13:4-7 and therefore feeling unworthy of God's love - wondering, 'how could He possibly love me when I mess this up so badly on a daily basis?'  If that's you, I invite you to join me in the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study of Renee Swope's book, "A Confident Heart," where she shares with us:

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You can check it out and sign up here.  I pray that you do.
 
"...put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." -Psalm 130:7



6 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing! I llove this and the reminders of the scriptures today!

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  2. Love it! Thank you Katrina for sharing your heart. I'm so happy to be joining you on this journey toward #Aconfidentheart and finding God's #Perfectlove.
    Anna

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  3. I totally relate, Katrina! In fact, this is something I've been thinking about the past week and a half. Thank you for your insights!

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    1. Hi Bree! I love when God confirms what we are hearing through the things we read, see, hear, etc. Blesses my heart to hear He is doing that through my shared words. Blessings to you!

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  4. Katrina how beautiful. You know my husband always read 1 Cor 13 at weddings and I know it by heart. I read another blog this evening that quoted it also. At a Beth Moore conference one year we did it and we put our name in it. Try it. Katrina is patient, Katrina is kind etc.. It's beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Debbie W. (OBS Facebook Group Leader)

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    1. I love that Idea Debbie! Thanks so much. I'm definitely going to do that :) I can completely see how that would help to live out this verse. God bless!

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