SEEK THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH

Photo provided by Brian Bohannon 

Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his 

name, make known his deeds among the 

people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto 

him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

Glory ye in his holy name: let the 

heart of them rejoice that seek the 

LORD.  Seek the LORD and his 

strength, seek his face continually.

I Chronicles 16:9-11

LOOKED FOR A CITY WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER IS OUR GOD

Photo provided by Marcia Oliveira

By faith Abraham, when he was called

to go out into a place which he should after 

receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went 

out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he 

sojourned in the land of promise, as in a 

strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with 

Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same 

promise:  For he looked for a city which 

hath foundations, whose builder and maker 

is God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

MY EYES ARE UPON THEE

Photography by Geoff Fierce 

LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; 

give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as 

incense; and the lifting up of my hands as 

the evening sacrifice.  Set a watch, O LORD, 

before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to 

practise wicked works with men that work 

iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a 

kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall 

be an excellent oil, which shall not break 

my head: for yet my prayer also shall 

be in their calamities.  When their judges
are overthrown in stony places, they shall 

hear my words; for they are sweet.  Our 

bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth,
as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood 

upon the earth.  But mine eyes are unto
thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my
trust; leave not my soul destitute.  Keep
me from the snares which they have laid
for me, and the gins of the workers of
iniquity.  Let the wicked fall into their
own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Psalm 141

ABC'S OF CHRISTMAS

TO READ THE ABC'S OF CHRISTMAS BY STEVE AND SHERRY LONG

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

ABC'S OF CHRISTMAS

REMEMBERING MY SONG IN THE NIGHT

Photographer - Geoff Fierce 

I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God 

with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my 

sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul 

refused to be comforted.  I remembered God, 

and was troubled: I complained, and my 

spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.  Thou holdest 

mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that 

I cannot speak.  I have considered the days 

of old, the years of ancient times.

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I 

commune with mine own heart: and my 

spirit made diligent search.  Will the Lord 

cast off for ever? and will he be favourable 

no more?  Is his mercy clean gone for ever? 

doth his promise fail for evermore?   Hath God 

forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger 

shut up his tender mercies? Selah.  And I said, 

This is my infirmity: but I will remember the 

years of the right hand of the most High.

I will remember the works of the LORD: 

surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

I will meditate also of all thy work, 

and talk of thy doings.  Thy way, O God, is 

in the sanctuary: who is so great a God 

as our God?

Psalm 77:1-13

EVERYONE HAS BEEN GIVEN GRACE

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as 

ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above 

all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace 

according to the measure of the gift 

of Christ.

Ephesians 4:4-7

HE IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE ASK OR THINK

Photo provided by Macie Rae Haley

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly 

above all that we ask or think, according to the power 

that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church 

by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without 

end. Amen.

REST AND WAIT PATIENTLY

Photo provided by Geoff Fierce

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: 

fret not thyself because of him who prospereth 

in his way, because of the man who bringeth 

wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, 

and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise 

to do evil.  For evildoers shall be cut off: 

but those that wait upon the LORD, they 

shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:7

SAVE JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came 

not with excellency of speech or of 

wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony 

of God. For I determined not to know any 

thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and 

him crucified.  And I was with you in 

weakness, and in fear, and in much 

trembling. And my speech and my 

preaching was not with enticing words 

of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration 

of the Spirit and of power:  That your faith 

should not stand in the wisdom of men, but 

in the power of God.

I Corinthians 2:2

CROSS OF CHRIST

Photo provided by Kathy Mitchell

For the preaching of the cross is to 

them that perish foolishness; but 

unto us which are saved it is the 

power of God.

I Corinthians 1:18

SEE THAT YOU ABOUND IN GRACE ALSO

Photo provided by Kay Rowe 

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in 

faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in 

all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye 

abound in this grace also.

II Corinthians 8:7

STAND FAST IN THE FAITH

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, 

quit you like men, be strong.

II Corinthians 16:13

RETURN UNTO ME

Photo provided by Jan Davis

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy 

transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: 

return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Isaiah 44:22

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD

Photographer Geoff Fierce 

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send 

my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare 

thy way before thee.  The voice of one crying in 

the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the 

Lord, make his paths straight.

Mark 1:2-3

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BE ON THE ALERT

Photographer Geoff Fierce 

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; 

the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what 

hour your Lord doth come. But know 

this, that if the goodman of the house 

had known in what watch the thief 

would come, he would have watched, 

and would not have suffered his house 

to be broken up.  Therefore be ye also 

ready: for in such an hour as ye think 

not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:42-44

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on the links provided below.

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THE DUST ON HIS FEET!

Photo provided by Katrina Stevens

There are times when I am pondering on the scripture, 

praying for my children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters 

aunts, uncles and cousins that very unusual things 

come across my mind.  Today was one of those days.  

As I was praying the thought came to mind,
"Look at the dust on His feet" 

 I stopped the car and wrote the words down on paper.
After work I picked the paper up from my
console and began to ponder on them again. 

"So bizarre" I thought, "so bizarre," yet I couldn't 

get the words out of my thoughts.    

The great God of the universe loved us so deeply

that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for 

our sins.

If Jesus Christ lived now, in the  21st 

Century, even if he were poor, he might have have 

lived in a house, driven a car and worn 

closed in shoes.

Yet the God of the universe chose to send 

his only begotten Son during the period of 

time when men wore sandals and their 

feet gathered mud and dirt all day. 

He lived at a brutal time.in history. Years 

earlier, they didn't crucify people nor do they
now, but at the very time and place the Lord Jesus 

lived, these men were brutal and crucifixion 

was a normal occurrence.

  The Lord had told his disciples when they 

go into a city and preach the gospel and if the

people refuse to listen,to  "Shake the dust off

your feet." This meant they could wash their hands

clean and walk away as they had completed what 

the Lord had commanded even though the people
refused the call to repentance. 

The Lord however came to us during the era that he 

collected the dust.  As he walked up Golgotha he 

gathered more and more dust on his feet, as the 

sweat and blood dripped from his body onto the

sand he walked on, there was more and more 

dust and mud that gathered onto his feet.  

When they hung him from the cross he didn't

shake the dust off His feet.  He didn't ask 

anyone to wash the dust from His body. He just

left it there because of His deep love for us.  

He wanted us to know He was not washing His

hands and walking away to leave us in our sins.
He was going to hang there and leave the dirt on,
thus he also did with our sins.  He carried them 

all to the cross with Him so we could go free.

Our Savior came to this world to show us that 

he desires to carry all the weight of sin, all the dirt, 

all the mire upon Himself so that we can be set 

free of our ungodliness.   

Each night as you wash your feet be sure to ponder 

on the Savior's great love for us and remember what 

the dust on His feet means, "He was willing to
get His hands and feet dirty just for you."

WHO WE ARE TO GOD!

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes 

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, 

in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

II Corinthians 2:15

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Photo provided by Donna Wilkins

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have 

lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? 

it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be 

cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that 

is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do 

men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, 

but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto 

all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine 

before men, that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

THE SUPERIORITY OF LOVE

Devotion by Steve Long
None of us can brag about our Spiritual gifts.

Paul writes:

And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Have you ever studied 1 Corinthians 13 in its context? It is surrounded by two chapters that talk about Spiritual gifts – particularly sign gifts.

Chapter 12 – Spiritual gifts.

Chapter 13 – Agape love.

Chapter 14 – More on Spiritual gifts.

Love is the middle of the Oreo. It is the tasty white cream that is packed between the two chocolate flavored cookies. In fact, the chapter comes back to the subject of gifts right here at the end of chapter 13 – the Love Chapter.

Regardless of your beliefs about the charismata, or charismatic gifts, there is no doubt that love supersedes them all. 

LOVE IS GREATER BECAUSE OF ITS ENDURANCE.

The gifts of prophecy, tongues (or languages) and the gift of knowledge (notknowledge per se but the gift of knowledge) are all temporary gifts, as are many other gifts from the Holy Spirit. They do not last forever. God is instructing the Corinthian church and the church today to not get too caught up with temporary blessings, but to latch onto that which lasts. The special gifts, he says, will fail, cease and vanish away. They will be removed and they will play out. Their use will be exhausted and completed. Sign gifts will have been replaced in their importance by a full and finished revelation (the completed bible). God’s word is saying that there will come a time when none of these gifts will be necessary and will cease to exist, but not so with love. Love will endure forever.

Love will endure because it is the mark of a mature church. The word “perfect” in verse 10 means “compete” or “mature.”

You can tell when a kid is growing up, he or she will start to put away their childish toys. You’ve seen the big kid who finally gives up the pacifier, the girl who packs away her little baby doll to give to her niece, or the teenager who trades his little bike for a set of car keys. At some point every boy (hopefully) will start to do “man” things and a girl will begin to conduct herself as a woman.

In its infancy, the church was heavy with special gifts from the Lord such as miracles and healings. In its maturity, the church needs to transition to the full revelation of scripture and also needs to transition to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22) over the gifts of the Spirit.

If you are a baby Christian, you will need to grow into a mature child of God. Childish ways will have to be left behind as you become a well developed grown up Christian.

The nation of Israel, during its journey from Egypt, ate manna[i] for nearly forty years but soon after they entered Canaan (the land of promise) the manna ceased. [ii]

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5.12)

Just as Israel no longer had need of manna but rather ate of the luscious fruit of the land; so we must shift from our emphases on gifts so that we may feast on the fruit of love, joy and peace.[iii]

Three things within the possession of the Christian outrank everything else. Those three things are faith, hope and love. They will “abide” for as long as we live on this earth. But the one trait, the one blessing from God that outweighs everything else in importance is love. Love is the one quality we now possess which we will take to heaven with us. Faith is “the substance of things not seen,”[iv] but when we get to the celestial city, we will see all clearly. Hope seen will no longer be hope.[v] It will have completed its course and finished its task.

But love – God’s agape love, will go forth throughout eternity. At the Father’s throne in heaven it will continue dwelling in our hearts without end. The Lord God will always love us, we will always love him and we will always love one another.

This is why we should love one another with a pure heart, fervently ... right now.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1Cor 13.8-13)

BY WISDOM THE LORD FOUNDED THE EARTH

Photo provided by Geoff Fierce 

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; 

by understanding hath he established the 

heavens.  By his knowledge the depths are 

broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Proverbs 3:19-20

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on the links provided below.

Geoff Fierce Blog

Geoff Fierce Website

THE LORD THY GOD IS MIGHTY

Photo provided by Geoff Fierce 

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; 

he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he 

will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

HE WILL TURN AGAIN, HE WILL HAVE COMPASSION

Photo provided Robert Allen Hughes 

He will turn again, he will have compassion 

upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and 

thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths 

of the sea.

Micah 7:19

DEATH HAS NO POWER OVER THE BELIEVER

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes 

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, 

where is thy victory? The sting of death 

is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the 

victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye 

stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding 

in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye 

know that your labour is not in vain 

in the Lord.

I Corinthians 15:55-58

MY HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, 

from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, 

which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be 

moved: he that keepeth thee will 

not slumber.

Psalm 121:1-3

RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE REVEALED

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes 

Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, 

and do justice: for my salvation is near 

to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Isaiah 56:1

DEEP AND SECRET THINGS

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes

He revealeth the deep and secret things: 

he knoweth what is in the darkness, 

and the light dwelleth with him. I

thank thee, and praise thee, O thou 

God of my fathers, who hast given me 

wisdom and might, and hast made known 

unto me now what we desired of thee…

Daniel 2:22-23 

SLOW TO ANGER

Photographer Robert Allen Hughes  

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; 

and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 16:32

REVIVE THE HEART

Photo provided by Renie Brandow

 For thus saith the high and lofty One that 

inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; 

I dwell in the high and holy place, with 

him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, 

to revive the spirit of the humble, and to 

revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For I will not contend for ever, neither will 

I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail 

before me, and the souls which I have made.

For the iniquity of his covetousness was 

I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was 

wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way 

of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal 

him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts 

unto him and to his mourners.  I create the 

fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far 

off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; 

and I will heal him.  But the wicked are like 

the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose 

waters cast up mire and dirt.  There is no 

peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Isaiah 57:15-21

FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND

Photo provided by Geoff Fierce 

 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear 

the words of this prophecy, and keep those things 

which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:3

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on the links provided below.

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THY WORD ENDURETH FOREVER

Photo provided by Pennie Beth Saum 

 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory 

of man as the flower of grass. The grass 

withereth, and the flower thereof 

falleth away: But the word of the Lord 

endureth for ever. And this is the word 

which by the gospel is preached unto 

you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, 

and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, 

and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, 

desire the sincere milk of the word, that 

ye may grow thereby:  If so be ye have 

tasted that the Lord is gracious.  To 

whom coming, as unto a living stone, 

disallowed indeed of men, but chosen 

of God, and precious,  Ye also, as lively 

stones, are built up a spiritual house, 

an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual 

sacrifices, acceptable to God by 

Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:24 - 25:5

ARE YOU NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THE BIRDS?

Photographer - Geoff Fierce 

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, 

what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for 

your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more 

than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the 

fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they 

reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father 

feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one 

cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought 

for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how 

they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon 

in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the 

field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into 

the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 

O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, 

saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we 

drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) 

for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have 

need of all these things. But seek ye first the 

kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and 

all these things shall be added unto you.  Take 

therefore no thought for the morrow: for the 

morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. 

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:25-34

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on the links provided below.

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I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THY LAW

Photo provided by Geoff Fierce 

The bands of the wicked have robbed 

me: but I have not forgotten thy law.

Psalm 119:61

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on the links provided below.

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DRAW NEAR TO GOD

Photo provided by Kristin Cooke

But it is good for me to

draw near to God: I

have put my trust in

the Lord GOD, that

I may declare all

thy works.

Psalm 73:28

THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART

Photographer -Geoff Fierce 

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God 

is the strength of my heart, and my 

portion for ever.

Psalm 73:26

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on the links provided below.

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TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

Photographer - Geoff Fierce

To every thing there is a season, and a 

time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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on the links provided below.

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MORE DESIRABLE THAN GOLD

Photo provided by Tammy Stein Dore 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, 

than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey 

and the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:10

THE LORD MAKETH ME DWELL IN SAFETY

                                                           Photographer - Geoff Fierce 

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: 

for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

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on the links provided below.

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THE SON BRINGS CLEANING

Tonight, my daughter told her story on live facebook. Her story was very hard to listen to because it was one of deep pain and trauma she had experienced as a young teenager and didn't know who to cry out to for help.

Sexual assault is a horrible thing and anyone living through it will tell you it's like a leach.  The person committing the crime walks off seeming many times to feel no pain or sorrow, whereas the victim wears the leach attached to them for the rest of their life.  The leach at times seems to be hidden.  One thing can happen and suddenly the leach seems to suck the life right out of the body.  Anger, frustration, hatred, and every emotion possible comes raging forth out of nowhere.

These emotions can be triggered by true stories or by stories that were even made up or on a movie.   None the less, that trigger sets off something within us that takes us out of circulation sometimes for days or even weeks.

For the women who lived before us I must say, I can't imagine that grief and pain you carried and having to keep it locked away in your heart and everyone feeling you shouldn't speak of it.  I can't imagine the tears you must have shed feeling you would loose your mind because of the guilt experienced due to the assault.  Feeling you are the one that caused it, yet knowing you didn't ask for the person to do such a thing to you.  Never able to express yourself to anyone yet secretly dying inside because of the need to be set free.

As I was lying in bed unable to sleep tonight I realized that we live in a period of time that we are free to express everything.  We hold nothing back and sometimes that can be good but also can be destructive.

For those experiencing sexual assault I feel this has been good to live in a time we are free to tell the damage it does to a person.

They have a voice and are being heard, now they can heal.  They are free to throw the venom out of their heart and be released of the dark shadows that haunt them. Free to move on and be somebody significant instead of being wounded and swiveling away into a old grouchy person and nobody understanding why.

I remember as a very young mom washing diapers and hanging them out on the close line to dry.  There were many times those old white diapers would have stains on them that the soap, bleach and water just didn't get out.  When they hung on the line for hours the sun would fade those nasty old stains right off the diaper leaving them crisp and white again. This was something that always amazed me when I watch it happen. 

I have found in my life that telling my story and just hanging it out on the line has been much like the old stained up diaper.  Jesus Christ, the Son shines his rays of love straight to the depth of my deep grief and pain and washes it away leaving me free once again to move forward instead of being locked away in the darkness of my pain and suffering.

He also wants to meet you at the old wash tub and as you express your grief and sorrow, he desires to shine his deep rays of love, compassion, mercy, peace and grace upon your bleeding heart and bring healing that can only be found in his presence.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful 

in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of 

salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of 

righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself 

with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself 

with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10

CUTTING THROUGH THE STONE

Photo provided by Macie Rae Haley 

Have you ever watch water flow after a great storm.  

A small stream trickles down the hillside, it's joined 

by many other small streams.  Suddenly it reaches 

the bottom of the hillside and dips into a gully where

a larger stream is flowing.  As it travels and other 

streams are added to it one by one, the current 

increases in momentum and a rapid current suddenly 

turns into raging catastrophic plucking of massive 

boulders, taking out trees, heavy equipment and 

breaking apart houses that are its path.

Yet this very same water can be the thing

which brings tranquility when sitting beside 

a calm spring listening to the birds singing 

and the sound of the water trickling down 

the stream.

   

The same is true with our heart.  The living 

water can bring peace, comfort and tranquility. 

Yet that same living water can bring conviction 

to the heart causing us to be overwhelmed by 

how far we have strayed from the presence 

of the Holy God who loves us so deeply. This 

conviction at times can feel as if the Lord is 

cutting into our inner being causing us to 

desire to run from his presence.  

When we finally surrender our hardened 

heart to His will, we realize this strong 

conviction has trenched out a path for us 

to reach the heart of God, a path that can 

only be opened up by us surrendering our 

lives to Jesus Christ. 

LOVE IS NOT PUFFED UP

Love is ...


Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

A devotion by Stephen Long

If you love someone, you will put up with a lot. I have seen the mothers of special children show the greatest patience with their children, even far after a spouse has long ago pulled away because he “just can’t deal with it.”

Love doesn’t give up on somebody after the first and second offense. It is capable of forgiving seventy times seven.[i]

God’s kind of Agape love is about loving for what you can contribute to another’s life regardless of what they do for you. The only one who has ever successfully loved this way is the Lord Jesus Christ, but with the Holy Spirit within us and filling us, we can grow more into this kind of lover.

What kind of person would we observe who loved like this? How would we recognize an Agape kind of lover?

It is the man who forgoes his career to stay at home with his invalid wife. It is the farmer who goes and harvests his injured neighbor’s crop for him. It is the prominent citizen who goes out of his way to speak to the boy with an intellectual disability. It is the policeman who responds to an emergency call from a well known criminal.

Agape love is giving credit to someone else when you know that you also contributed heavily to the success of a project. It is downplaying the flaws of others, knowing that you have plenty of your own.

Love thinks well of others, speaks well of others and treats others as you would have them treat you.

Love will never be jealous of the success of others even if you have competed for the same prize. It will never wish any less blessing or more trouble upon another. It will never say, “They don’t deserve that” when something good happens to another; and it will never say, “They deserved that” when something bad happens to someone else.

The person who loves will not push one’s self up to the front of the line. It will not bully people but it will confront those who do bully others. Love will not allow us to grab the spotlight while shoving others out. Love focuses first on the Lord Jesus and then upon the indivuals around us. It never says "What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" and "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" [ii]

Love will not “think of himself more highly than he ought to think,”[iii] but will also look out “for the interest of others.”[iv] Love is not like the pufferfish, blowing yourself up thrice your own size to impress but will think soberly – realistically. It is not making yourself look smaller than you really are but neither is it making yourself look bigger.

We could use a few more good manners these days. It seems like we’ve lost so much of what we once had attained as a civilized society. Love will help us do that.

Love looks out for others as well as it looks out for one’s self. It doesn’t become easily provoked nor does it think the worst of others but gives a fellow human being the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.

Love is full of joy. There is joy when another succeeds as much as when you succeed. There is joy in the blessing of others as well as when you are blessed. There is joy when truth is spoken – the full truth. It rejoices in the truth that “the wages of sin is death,” but also in the truth that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This is just a start, but that’s what love is. And, if you really want to see true love, don’t look at all of us flawed humans around you; look at God – and the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ who loved you so much he came to a lousy sin cursed world to be one of us and die for our sins. This is love.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
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I Corinthians 13.4-6

I Jesus, Matthew 18.22
[ii] Esther 6.6
[iii] Romans 12.3
[iv] Philippians 2.4