Girlfriends in God Daily Devotional for Women

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Girlfriends in God - Jan. 18, 2008

 

January 18, 2008

“And the Greatest of These is Love”

Melody Hadley

 

We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions.  We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends.  From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry.  We call them our "Friday Friends."  So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend", Melody Hadley. Melody is currently the Writer Manager for “Looking Up Magazine.” She devotes much of her time to teaching Bible studies, writing short articles and devotions, and facilitating an online prayer ministry. You can contact her personally at her e-mail address: melodyhadley@gmail.com

Today’s Truth

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) instructs us: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

 

Friend to Friend

To fulfill God’s purpose in our lives and to serve Christ, we need the spiritual gifts of faith, hope and love.

 

I Corinthians 13:1-7, 13 (NIV) states: “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I am nothing. 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, and 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…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

 

The Book of Ruth tells about two women whose love exceeds the norm. We are surprised by a loving relationship between an Israelite, Naomi, and her daughter-in-law, a Moabitess, Ruth, because there was always great friction between their individual homelands. Naomi’s dedication to God reaches the heart of this pagan woman, Ruth. When the widowed Naomi decides she must return to Israel, the also widowed Ruth chooses to accompany her. Devoting herself to an aging woman, and the one true God, whom she has come to love, Ruth demonstrates unselfish love. While working in the fields in Israel, Ruth is seen as kind, loving, and gentle. She seeks God’s purpose for her life, eventually marrying landowner Boaz and ultimately becomes an ancestor of our Lord.

We need to ask ourselves: What is love? Why and how do you show love to others? How do you discover your personal love mission(s)?

Love is being patient, kind, protective, courteous, trusting, giving, hopeful, humble, truthful, and constant. It is unselfishly caring and sharing God’s limitless love for us all. It is not self-centered, rude, angry, petty, or proud.

God has told us we are to love one another, because He first loved us. He loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for our sins. When we meet any person in need, no matter what the need, we should ask ourselves, if Jesus were here, what would He do?

Ask God for the gift of love. He will show you how to use this gift. One way is in the ministry of ‘helping’. Your assignment may seem huge, such as serving as a pastor, heading a mission trip to serve Hurricane Katrina victims, or heading a vital church committee. You may be asked by God to do something more simple, but no less important, such as: write a card of encouragement to someone recently unemployed, visit the ill and shut-ins, e-mail a serviceman, wash dishes at a mission fund-raiser, donate money for the homeless, witness for God to an unsaved neighbor. We are each responsible for the specific tasks He appoints us to perform. Rick Warren tells us in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, “There are people on this planet that only you will be able to reach, because of where you live, and what God has made you to be. If just one person will be in heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity.”

Let’s Pray

Dear Father, we come to you seeking to know Your will. Show us where and how we can demonstrate Your love. Give us open hearts and minds so we can truly identify the specific needs of others. Grant us the ability to be Your hands and Your feet to serve others in love. Amen

 

Now it’s Your Turn

Remember to: 1. Seek God’s directions through daily prayer and Scripture reading

2. Give God quiet time so He can speak to you through the Holy Spirit

3. Don’t “put off” sharing God’s love—start now!

 

More from the Girlfriends

To discern what your love mission is, you must first turn to God, loving Him totally. Pray! Pray! Pray! Ask God to reveal specifically how you are to love. Pray for guidance in what ways you are to serve others.

Jesus assures us that when believers do love and help, we can joyously expect Him to say, “Come, blessed of my Father into the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25:34 (NIV)

 

 

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