Love . . . Believes All Things

" . . . believes all things . . . "

1 Corinthians 13:7

"Believeth" is actually the word pisteuei, which is the Greek word meaning to put one's faith or trust in something or someone. The tense for this text lets us know that this is constant, continuous entrusting of one's faith in something or someone --- a never give up attitude! This phrase could actually be taken to mean that love "believes the best in every situation."

Don't be mistaken; agape love isn't stupid or blind. It sees everything! The good, the bad and the ugly. But agape is so filled with faith and hope that it pushes the disturbing truths, realities out of the way. This doesn't mean agape ignores problems or challenges. It just makes a choice to see beyond the problems, the conflicts, to look forward to see the highest potential that resides in that person. You see them as HE sees them.



Today, is a new day! There is still hope! Agape cannot give up believing that they will turn around. You have someone in mind --- don't give up! Perhaps its even you --- don't even give up in you! The past may have been filled with troubled times, the future is bright for those who believe in God! Therefore, agape, continually presses ahead full of faith --- reaching forward by faith to see yourself, the other person whole, sound, healed, saved, redeemed, and right in the middle of God's will for your or their lives. Agape love doesn't know how to quit! It hangs on even when the going gets tough. As the saying goes, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going!" So, GET GOING! and never forget that love believes the best in you or others.



Let's Pray: Lord, I confess that God's love operates mightily in my life. This love of God that was shed for me in my heart never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up. I believe all things! I declare this by faith in Jesus' name! Amen.

Love Bears All Things

"Love . . . beareth all things, . . . "

1 Cor. 13:7

The eleventh point that Paul makes is love bears all things. The word "beareth" is the Greek word stego, which means to cover, as a roof covers a house. Within this word of stego is the concept of protection, just like a roof protects, shields and guards the inhabitants of a house from exposure to the outside influences.

There are many seasons in persons life time, and not all seasons are full of joy. In fact, some seasons of life are very stormy and difficult. There are moments when outside influences assail upon us. If we have no shield to guard or protect us during these stormy times, it becomes difficult for us to survive.

Paul is letting us know that agape love serves as a protection for you. Like the roof of a house, a friend who moves in this agape love will stay near in times of trouble. That friend will hover over you to protect you from the storms of life. Rather than expose you and your flaws to the view of others, a person who operates in this kind of love will conceal, cover, protect you, for real agape love is always there in time times of trouble to lend support, to pray.

Let's Pray: Lord, I ask You to help me to learn to operate more in this supernatural, life changing, high-level agape love. Please help me to quit judging others for the problems in their lives and to start thinking about how I can protect and cover them in times of difficulty. Holy Spirit, please help me believe the best about them. I pray this is in Jesus' name. Amen.

Love Rejoiceth In The Truth

"Charity . . . rejoiceth in the truth."

1 Corinthians 13:6

"Rejoice" is the Greek word chairo for joy. It carries the idea of being glad about something. Other words to describe chairo would be overjoyed, elated, ecstatic, exhilarated, thrilled, jubilant, or even rapturous.

This means that the second part of this verse 6 could be translated, ". . . Love is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth."

When you see other people blessed or getting special attention that you have longed to receive yourself; are you able to rejoice with them? Does it thrill you that someone is getting a promotion over you? Or do you feel sad, or threatened to see someone else receiving something you want for yourself.

If this is an area that you are having difficulty with, let the Holy Spirit deal with your heart about this. Spend a little more time with HIM today and let HIM show you why you feel this way and how you can overcome and improve in this area of agape love. Once you've done that then declare this prayer below over your life.

Let's Pray: Lord, I choose to confess and declare that I am blessed when I see someone else receive a blessing or special attention. It thrills me when I see other people moving up in life. Even when someone steps into the blessing that I've been believing for in my own life, I am elated for them! I declare this by faith in Jesus' name! Amen.

Love Is Loving Your Enemies

"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, . . ."

1 Corinthians 13:6

As I read verse 6 of I Corinthians 13, I am reminded that I shouldn't secretly wish for something bad to happen to someone who has done me wrong. Perhaps like me you may have upon hearing of a person's difficult or hardship have said or been tempted to say, 'Serves them right! After what they did to me and to so many others, they deserve a little punishment!' I quickly think of the phrases, "I told you so" or "you should have listened to me."

The phrase "rejoiceth not" comes from the Greek phrase ou chairei. The word ou means no or not, and the word chairei is from the word chairo, which is the Greek word for joy. It carries the idea of being glad about something. Other words to describe chairo would be overjoyed, elated, ecstatic, exhilarated, thrilled, jubilant, or even rapturous. The word "iniquity" is the Greek word adikos, which conveys the idea of an injustice or something that is wrong or bad.

True agape love does not gloat over others when they stumble, when they have a hard time, when things don't go right. True agape love does not exult in the failings, misfortunes, sins of others. It does not get a satisfaction when others fall short. Do you show that kind of love in your life? or like me when you have been horribly wronged you have wished the same back on them. After all, " what you sow, you will reap".

This desire to want to rejoice at other individual hardships is completely contrary to the love nature of God. Even though these people had done wrong to us and to many others in the community, the right response is to pray for their restoration. OUCH!!

Let's Pray: Lord I ask You to help me overcome those fleshly moments where I am thinking ill, when I want to rejoice at someone elses hardship. I must admit that if something was to happen to a person who has wronged me, something inside me would rejoice. I know this is wrong and that it is not the way to behave. Please forgive me for responding in a way that is contrary to Your love. Help me to be concerned and prayerful for every person who is undergoing any kind of hardship in life --- even those who have acted like they are my enemies. I am not God, it is You who judges and decides who shall reap for what they sow. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Love Does Not Think Evil

"Charity . . . thinketh no evil; . . . "

1 Corinthians 13:3

Todays devotion is no different than any of the other 'What Is Love?' devotions. In this devotion, as in all of the devotions Paul is teaching; the example that Christ has given us is yet another of the selfless actions that Jesus has for us to walk out in our lives --- to think no evil.

As Christians we are called to reach for that perfect standard of agape love. In the Greek "thinketh" is logidzomao which is to count or to reckon, to credit to someones account, stores in memory. How can we as Christians not think evil of some people? To not count the times we've been wronged by them, to add and keep record by storing it within our memory banks?

Even Jesus more than once rebuked the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees of their evil ways. He even described them as 'liars' and 'children of the devil'. So how do we balance this behavior Jesus has with the high standards of agape love that HE wants us to walk out. Are we to pretend evil doesn't exist and not come against it?

We are not to think evil of people, but we are to fight spiritual warfare in principalities with putting on the armor of God. We do not fight against flesh and blood but we fight against the devils schemes. It is not the people who are doing evil against you, they are being used by the devil; they do not know what they are doing. Ephesians 6:10-13 (TAB) reads, "In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]."

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Philippians 4:8 (The Message)

If I also may add some practical wisdom. If your friends and family do not allow you to walk this out and are stumbling blocks in your Christian walk you may want to find some new people to hang out with otherwise you may find yourself continuing to think evil of others.

Let's Pray: Lord, help me to establish a better thought pattern towards others and myself. I do not want to keep record of wrongs. I know that some of my thought patterns are wrong and I ask YOU to forgive me. Help me to think and respond in ways that are loving. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Love Does Not Push Buttons

". . . is not easily provoked . . . . "

1 Corinthians 13:5

The Greek has the word paroxsuno for the definition of "provoked". It is a compound of para, meaning alongside and oxsus, which means to poke, to prick or to stick as with a sharpened instrument. When we join these compound words we see a picture of someone who comes alongside another and then begins to poke, prick, or stick that other person with some type of sharpened instrument. In Isaiah 49:2 and Hebrews 4:12 speaks of your mouth as a sword for good. If we are capable of using it for good we are also capable of using it for evil. The person who chooses to use it for evil continues to pick, poke, stick, or push their buttons until the victim is provoked!

The word oxsus is also the Greek word for vinegar. I also found it interesting that in Russia, oxsus is also the word for "vinegar". The fact that this is the word for vinegar lets us know that the our provoked words to each other can be stringent, sharp, severe, sour, tart, bitter and acidic.

Unfortunately this is another character trait we can not control in others and we have to examine ourselves and ask ourselves, "How do we respond to those who trouble us, who push our buttons?"

In SMALL moments, everyday things that may push our buttons that are not personal attaches but just personal preferences such as when the dishes in the cupboard have gross stuff on them, when your beautician is told to just a trim and inches are cut off, or when people don't let you merge into their lane, when people at the grocery store get in the '10 items or less' lane with a whole grocery cart full. Are you being provoked? How do you react in these situations?

In BIG moments when we feel our character is being destroyed, when people are talking and saying untruths about you behind your back. It is hard to stand in silence with the heart of God with clear understanding of the misjudgement. It is easy to react with critical comments and fall into the same trap by delivering back with the same sharp, severe, sour, bitter words.

I have observed and learned through my husband, Mark, who has responded with the heart of God. Mark, was impressed by the Holy Spirit to look at how Jesus responded when HE was arrested and presented before Caiaphas where the elders and scribes were assembled and false witnesses came against him. Jesus was questioned and HE did not respond to their attaches, HE held HIS peace. (Matthew 26:47-68) This is the ultimate example when we are having our buttons pushed or our character is being attached.

Whether the scenario is SMALL or BIG. Its how you handle the "heat" of the moment.

Let's Pray: Lord, forgive me for the times I have reacted defensively with wrong words and wrong behavior. I forgive those who have acted unjustly or unfairly towards me or behind my back. Lord, help me to remain steady and secure in my identity in YOU. Help me to curb my desire to try to defend myself or fix the situation. Help me to hold my tongue and refrain from speaking words that bring harm. Today, I am making a decision to wipe the slate clean for I am forgiven. Thank you Lord! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Love Is Not Scheming

". . . seeketh not her own"

1 Corinthians 13:5

In 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul continues to teach us that agape-love "seeketh not her own". In the Greek "seeketh" is zeto which means to seek. However, this depicts a person who is so upset about not getting what they want that they are willing to turn to the court system to sue to demand what they are striving to obtain.

I think when Paul wrote this, he had someone in mind that he had been dealing with in this area. He observed someone not taking no for an anwer, someone so set on getting their way. In fact this person could have been so bent on getting their way that they twisted facts, looked for loop holes, put words in people's mouths, tried to hold others accountable for promises that they never made, or became emotional. This is manipulation!

What Paul is trying to communicate is that love is not scheming or manipulating. This behavior is dishonest and untruthful. This kind of love is self seeking and self serving.

Let's Pray: Lord, I ask You to help me put an end to any methods that I use that are self seeking, self serving, that are manipulative and scheming. I see now how this must grieve YOU and it is very damaging to my relationships. I repent for participating in this behavior and I ask YOU to help me be honest in all my dealings with people. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Love Does Not Act Ugly

"Doth not behave unseemly,..."

1 Corinthian13:5

The sixth characteristic of love that we will look at today is, "doth not behave unseemly". In the Greek unseemly is aschemoneo; which is to act in an unbecoming manner. This persons actions are tactless or thoughtless. A person who is careless and inconsiderate of others. They are rude, discourteous, have bad manners, harsh, brutal, uncaring, insensitive, and unkind to others in what they say or act towards others or behind their back. They just act ugly!

I just described what a person who is not displaying Christ like love, agape love. We know many people who fit this description. Sadly we know many carnal Christians that act this way. But what I want to propose to you is when some one is unkind to you to your face or behind your back. What is your reaction? Are you getting up tight and getting mouthy back? There is nothing wrong with being hurt and dealing with the emotions of being hurt, but how are you handling the hurt? Are you sowing love back to them? Are you praying for them, blessing them?

It is very evident that we do not need to act ugly defensively or offensively. God's love is not touchy. If we wear our emotions on our sleeve at any time, it is a sign that we need to spend more time with HIM, in HIS presence. But to spear head against anything we should do this before we face what ever we will face for the day.

Starting a day with HIM will keep you "sweetened up". As you spend time with HIM enjoying HIS gentleness and kindness, you will be built up in your Spirit to be able to better overlook the offences of others. When you find yourself being offended, ask HIM for help to love as HE would love, to give you a strong heart.

Let's Pray: Lord, I come before You because I do not continually walk in the high-level of love You want me to demonstrate in my life. Lord, forgive me and change me to be more like You. I desire to spend time with You so that I can learn of Your kindness and gentleness so that I will know how to emulate You to others. I confess that I am being changed into Your image and I demonstrate Your life and Your nature to others! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

I have found that when I am in a conflict situation that if I give to that person that helps me love them as HE would love them. Recently my husband and I just did that. We gave an anonymous benevolence to a family who did us wrong, left the church and has trashed talked us all over town. I had a person who was my secret sister for a year and God used that situation to build a stronger relationship who will now be a friend for a lifetime. Perhaps this suggestion can help you build a relationship with someone who needs to be shown agape love.

Am I accomplishing this agape love in all areas of my life, no way!! Do I desire too, yes. Do I know how? No..matter of fact a relationship that I struggle most is with my dad. He and I just have a hard time communicating with each other. I can't seem to get past hurts and expectations so I have chosen for a while now to distance myself. I respect him and am available but its not a relationship that is at all where it should be

So in the meantime, all of us shall press towards the mark of Luke 6:27-28, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you", and as Joyce Meyer's says, "...."SHAKE IT OFF"..."STEP on OUT"...and "MOVE ON".

Love Is Not Puffed Up

"Charity . . . is not puffed up."

1 Corinthians 13:4

What images come into your mind "of being puffed up"? Do you picture a blow fish, a bird, or more precise a rooster. You may even have thought of someone or two. I have a picture of someone; they even walk like a rooster.

"...is not puffed up" is the fifth characteristic of agape love. The Greek is phusio, which means to be proud, to be swollen, or to be inflated. So it is plainly stated that a person who is puffed up is a person who is filled with pride. This means that agape love is never deceived into thinking too highly of itself, arrogantly claims that it is better than others. Phusio also carries the notion of a person who has an air of superiority and haughtiness or a person who is snooty or snobbish in his dealing with other people.

When you consider the Greek meaning of the words "puffed up", it's evident that Paul was letting us know:

". . . .Love does not behave in a

prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner."

Have we not all been here? We come into contact with someone who appears to our natural eye as someone who is better than us and we allow our insecurities to come in and then all of a sudden a spirit of pride rises up in us. Even reading this right now you may sense that familiar spirit.

Paul shows us one of the ways that we can become puffed up, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." (1Corinthians 8:1) As Christians can know a lot about the Bible, doctrine, church life, etc. but we are in danger of being "puffed up" if that keeps us from building others up or bringing people unto HIM. Having grown up in the church, I fell into this danger a lot. I often used my knowledge of Christianity to critically judge other believers and feel superior to them instead of using what I know to encourage them towards greater obedience to God. For example, I had a lot of self-righteousness growing up. . . I thought that because I didn’t skip school, didn't smoke, didn't drink I was better than others. I didn't have the proper sympathy for people who were lost in sin and needed my concern and prayers.

In the gray areas of Christian life, we don't need to abuse our freedoms but out of love be sensitive and sympathetic to others, so that they may not be shaken and tempted to sin. For example, I am free to eat desserts as a Christian, but I may choose to temporarily abstain from them, in solidarity with my sister who is struggling to resist binging on sweets. In controversial matters, I know that I can be really set on who’s right or wrong, but what matters more is whether I am loving and yielding to the needs of others. This is how I can love Christ and others.

Earlier in my Christian walk, I lived namely to pursue the things that “puffed up” my ego. This manifested itself in my pursuit of the love and affection of others and my ability to please them. I sought other people’s approval of myself, my actions, my opinions, and my appearance and my ego would never be satisfied unless I had their favor. I realize now that I lived very selfishly, seeking to be the girl that everybody liked. I wanted to be needed, valued, and loved and I sought that through praise and approval. Because of this, I had a very narrow scope of the world around me. I was unloving and concerned only with my own pride and ego. Eventually, I grew tired of this path. In the midst of trying to please others, I started to lose my own identity and searched for a different way to live.

Through inner healing education, mentoring, counseling I learned to look at the root issues and cut off. This led me to pursue love that focuses on others instead of myself. The story of the woman with the alabaster jar is an accurate depiction of what it looks like to love someone else so deeply as she pours out her perfume for Jesus. We are called to live unselfishly, to be broken and poured out for others. Loving others doesn’t necessarily always have to be something extravagant. It can even be something as small as asking a friend how they’re day was, telling some one they are "loved and appreciated", asking what can you do or helping grandma with the groceries. Loving others means taking the focus off of yourself and your own feelings long enough to see the needs around you.

Let's Pray: Lord, I ask You to help me live my life that glorifies You. You are my Lord, and I am Your servant. I do not want to do anything with my life that brings disrespect or dishonor to You. I ask You to correct me when my eyes are on me instead of others. I want to emulate You in building others up to draw all men unto You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Love Is Not Being A Windbag!

"...charity vaunteth not itself . . . "

1 Corinthinans 13:4

Did you know that when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 he was speaking to those who were "super spiritual"; those that talked a big talk of spiritual things but who exhibited very little love in their daily lives. He called them "sounding brass", "tinkling cymbals".

The word "vaunteth" in the Greek is perpereuomai, which means a lot of self talk. A person who endlessly promotes himself and exaggerates (lies) their own virtues. One Greek scholar said that perpereuomai pictures a person who is full of hot air, a windbag!

Paul's strong warning is,

". . . Love doesn't go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make yourself look more important in the sight of others . . ."

I know an individual who fits this description. Your probably thinking of a person too, because people like this are hard to ignore and forget. They're obnoxious! Right??!! The problem is though they do not realize how full of 'self' they are. You can even point it out and they don't see it. It is a character flaw that only the Holy Spirit can change.

The individual that I know, I knew well enough to ask, "Why don't you ever ask about anyone else? All you ever talk about is yourself, your own stories, your own family, your own triumphs, your own tragedies. Don't you think it would be good to show some kind of interest in what others are doing? Do you know how selfish you seem to be to other people?"

Well, this individual didn't have an answer but I am sure that this person must had been thinking, "Is anyone else besides me doing anything that is worth talking about?" This person was so self-consumed that they didn't have an answer because they were not aware of how full they are of them self.

I have discovered from experience and observation that these individuals come from a insecure foundation. They feel they have to talk a lot about themselves, stretch the truth to prove their worth, value, to gain some higher position, special status or place of authority. Regardless of the reason that people brag about themselves, this kind of behavior is not the way agape love behaves.

Agape love is strong, sure, confident that it doesn't need to speak of itself or its accomplishments. Agape love wants to focus on the accomplishments of others in order to build the other person up and make them feel more valuable and secure. Remember from my prior devotionals, agape isn't self-focused love -- it is focused on giving of itself in order to meet other people's needs.

Let's Pray: "Lord, I see through this devotional that Pastor Daniell could be talking about me. Help me, Lord, change me. Help me to to not exaggerate or embellish truth, but most of all Lord, let me think of others first. I ask You to correct me when I am lured into pride of self and to rebuke me gently when I am ugly to others. I want to be like You. Mold me and make me like You, Lord. Lord, let me see that I am fine just as I am where I am on the journey I am on and that I do not have to compete or compare myself to others. Let me see my secure identity in You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen."

Love Envieth Not

Today's Truth: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; . . ."
1 Corinthians 13:4
Peep to Peep
The word "envy" is the Greek word zelos, which portays a person who is radically consumed with their own desires and plans. This is an individual who is bent on getting their own way and they are willing to get their own way no matter what. In the business world, you may call this person ambitious. In everyday life, you may call this person self-centered. This person is so consumed with themselves that they don't ever think of the needs of others; what some one else may want or need. This person thinks they are number #1 in their own book and their plans are more important that anyone else's. Everyone else comes after them.

Paul says, "charity envieth not", his words could be interpreted this way:

". . . Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself

that it never thinks of the need or desires of others . . ."

In today's society this character flaw runs rampant in our society. Everyone has their own agenda, political cause, religous cause and we do not tolerate or respect others that are different than us. We want to take a person's freedom away if it does not align up with our agenda. Real agape love does not think of itself first but is always looking outward, thinking of the others. I encourage you to examine your relationships at home, church, work and ask yourself: Am I committed to seeing other blessed and successful before myself, or am I more committed to my own cause more than serving others? If your walking in agape love, your greatest priority is to see help others succeed.
Let's Pray
Father, I realize that I've allowed myself to put my own desires and interests before others. I need to be mroe focused on the needs of others than on myself. I realize the only way that I can become a selfless servant is to yeild to the Holy Spirit so He can do a work within my life that I will change. Change me Lord! Father, I am asking You today to do whatever is necessary to teach me how to walk consistently in this high-level of agape love. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

See you tomorrow!

You’re Loved & Appreciated,
♥ Pastor Daniell

Now It’s Your Turn
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's devotion. Is this something that you have struggled with in your Christian walk? Let's talk... http://www.newhopefortoday.org/, www.facebook.com/daniellbarton, or pastordaniellbarton@gmail.com

Love Is Kind

Today's Truth: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind;. . ." 1 Corinthians 13:4

Peep to Peep
Paul first tells us that love is long suffering, secondly he tells us that love is "kind". The Greek for "kind" is chresteuomai, which means to be adaptable or compliant to the needs of others. When agape love is working through you to others you don't make demands of others to do things like you want, to be like you, or to get what you want. Instead agape makes you want to bend over backwards to help someone out. We should become what others need us to be for them. So, the word "kind" portrays a willingness to change in order to meet the needs of others; a willingness to serve. This is completely opposite of selfishness and self-centeredness.

So when Paul says that love is "kind," he is saying:

". . . Love doesn't demand others to be like itself; rather, it is focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be . . . "

I ask you to take a moment and look in the mirror? What do you see? Do you become what others need you to be, or do you make demands of people to be like you, to get what you want, to do things like you want? Real agape love doesn't think of itself first. Instead it is always reaching out, thinking of others, being a servant for the needs of others. The person that walks in agape love is adaptable to the situation, to those around them in order to touch them, help them, and make a difference in other lives in a meaningful way.


Let's Pray
Lord, I ask YOU to search my heart and show me where I have been unkind, selfish and/or self-centered. Father, help me to be a champion of the truth. Keep me from falling into deception, where I am not be able to see myself as I really am. I desire to be a servant and I ask YOU to teach me ways to serve, to be kind to others. I desire to think about others before I do myself. I want to make a difference in other lives in a meaningful way. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

See you tomorrow!

You’re Loved & Appreciated,
♥ Pastor Daniell

Now It’s Your Turn
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's devotion. Is this something that you have struggled with in your Christian walk? Let's talk... http://www.newhopefortoday.org, www.facebook.com/pastordaniellbarton, or PO Box 93, Shamrock, TX 79079

Love is Long Suffering

Today's Truth: "Charity suffereth long . . . " 1 Corinthians 13:4

Peep to Peep
Whether we are aware or not, daily I believe we are on a journey of learning about love. How to love, who to love, where to love, why do we love, and when should we love. I would always prefer to be proactive or offensive in any situation, especially in the area of love. So, as I have continued to learn daily how, who, what, where, when and why in the arena of love. I wish to share with you a Biblical perspective of my discoveries. Let me preface though, I have not arrived, BUT I press towards the mark daily.

So together as we are taking a journey into our hearts to learn about what love is I hope to help us determine whether or not we are walking in the highest kind of love in our lives. Today's devotional we will explore that love is long suffering.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Paul describes this Charity, this agape love, "Charity (agape love) suffereth long . . ." The words "suffereth long" taken from the Greek is makrothumia, a compound word of makros and thumos. Makros means long. This indicates something that is long, distant, far, remote, or of a long duration. The word thumus means anger, but it also provides the idea of swelling emotions or a strong and growing passion about something.

When you join these two words into one, it forms the word makrothumia, which shows us the patient restraint of anger and therefore long suffering. It can be translated as the words forbearance and patience.

I had it once explained to me this way. Picture a candle that has a very long wick. Because its wick is long, it is prepared to burn a long time. It is ready to forbear and patiently wait until a certain person finally comes around, makes progress, changes, or hears what you are trying to communicate or teach him. This is the picture of a person whose feelings for someone else are so passionate that he doesn't easily give up or bow out; instead, he keeps on going and going and going, even though the other person doesn't quickly respond or doesn't even respond at all.

So when Paul says, "Charity suffereth long . . .", it could be paraphrased as this,

"Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed . . ."

If I may encourage you dear friend, this means that agape love doesn't throw in the towel and quit. In fact, it means the complete opposite. The harder the fight and the longer the struggle, the more committed agape love is. Like a candle with an endless wick, it just keeps burning and burning and burning, for it never knows when to go out, to quit. This of course is contrary to our nature, which says, "I'm sick and tired of waiting and waiting and believing. If this person doesn't come around I'm done!"

Are you in a relationship that is testing your patience? Are you tempted to quit and throw in the towel? If so, let me encourage you to not quit! I have been there. I wanted to throw the towel in so many times in the earlier years of our marriage, but the only thing that kept me from quitting in my marriage was (1) that I have seen the repercussions in lives of people who threw in the towel. My observations over 35 years were not just personal, but in my friends relationships. It didn't always necessarily affect the person immediately, but it did eventually. In every case it did. It especially affected for generations the children and their children's children. I did not want my sons lives to be destroyed and my children's children. (2)I knew what the Word said. I knew my Father. What HE says is true that there is sowing and reaping, that HE would never give me more than I could handle, that ALL things work together for good that love the Lord, that HE could fix anything!!
Let's PrayLord,I am not able to handle this relationship with out You. I need You. I need You to give me a good dose of agape love and I need it to be released in my right now. Give me the gift of long suffering for all my relationships. Show me Lord when I am not being long suffering. And Lord when You show me; let me be quick to repent and quick to forgive. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

You see according to Romans 5:5, the agape love of God has already been shed on you by the Holy Spirit. He has already "shed abroad", bestowed upon you sufficient love to be long suffering in any relaitonship or situation. You already possess it. So when you ask the Holy Spirit to help you, HE releases a river on you of agape love to flow forth from within you and cause you to be supernaturally long suffering towards who ever it that is frustrating you.
It's human nature to be short tempered and intolerant, but agape love is slow to anger, slow to wrath and doesn't know how to quit. Each time you recognize and surrender, supernaturally you will become stronger and stronger and more committed you are to endure. This is a miracle love -- a love that transforms and changes people's lives. Be a transformer!

See you tomorrow!

You’re Loved & Appreciated,
♥ Pastor Daniell

Love: What Is Love?

Today's Truth: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Peep to Peep
In 1966, Deon Jackson had risen to #11 with her hit song "Love Makes The World God Round". In 1963 Paula Anka rose to #23 and Perry Como rose to #33 in 1958. Today this song is sung by Madonna, Ashlee Simpson, Power Puff Girls and other artists, each one changing it to their own style.

Besides the music industry, movies have promoted various interpretations of love through love story after love story. There are poems of love through out history and even in the Bible we see some of the greatest love stories.

Webster defines love as:
1a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

(2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers

(3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

b : an assurance of love

2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion

3a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration

b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address

4a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) brotherly concern for others

b : a person's adoration of God

5: a god or personification of love

6: an amorous episode : love affair

7: the sexual embrace : copulation

8: a score of zero (as in tennis)

9 capitalized Christian Science : god
— at love
: holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis
— in love
: inspired by affection

From an educational perspective I like to research all sources and leave the final "say" with what the Word of God says. So from here we will see what the Lord says about "love" from HIS perspective. When I do study, I do look at several translations knowing that the KJV translation is best with emphasis in the Hebrew and Greek.

I will probably take several blogs to share my findings as I examine my own heart, I hope and pray the Holy Spirit will use this opportunity to bless you as well with your love walk.

1 Corinthians 13 is best known for powerful points about the love of God and I believe provides the highest description of love which is agape. This agape love is a very special kind of love, unlike any other in the world. Paula Anka and the Power Puff Girls have nothing on this.

Paul uses the word "charity", agape, to describe the highest level of love in the world in 1 Corinthians 13. This love is nothing like the love the world portrays and is only used in the New Testament to describe God's love and the love that SHOULD flow from the hearts of believers; that is how unique and valuable this kind of love is.

Agape is a divine love that gives and gives and gives, even if it's not deserved, never responded to, appreciated or acknowledged. Agape love isn't based on response but on a decision to keep on loving, regardless of a recipient's response of lack of response. Agape is an unconditional love. It's a higher level of love than all others. It is the highest, most noble, purest form of love that exists.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul provides characteristics of agape love. These verses are to help us determine whether or not our walk is meeting the standards that HE is expecting of us. Over the next several days we will examine our hearts to see if we are meeting HIS expectations. Will you join me?

Let's Pray
"Lord, I ask you to search my heart and expose to me any areas that I may not be walking in the highest level of love that you are requiring all believers to walk in. I desire to be an extension of YOU to all people. I know I have failed at times and without Your help I will fail in the future, but that is not my desire. I also know Lord that you set me into situations to test me, teach me and proove me. I confess that I walk in agape love for all man kind. In Jesus'Name I pray. Amen.

See you tomorrow!

You’re Loved & Appreciated,
♥ Pastor Daniell

Now It’s Your Turn
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's devotion. Is this something that you have struggled with in your Christian walk? Let's talk... http://www.newhopefortoday.org, www.facebook.com/pastordaniellbarton, or PO Box 93, Shamrock, TX 79079