Love

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. Does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:4-8a NAS)

February is the month to think about the gift of love. I am so thankful for the gift of love that has been poured out upon me. When I was a child I was loved by my Mom, Dad, brother and sister. I grew up in a home where I learned to honor and love God. What a precious gift.

As a young woman I met the man who would become my husband and I came to know a new kind of love. Then I became a mother. What kind of love is this? It was so new to me. My Mom often said I would understand how much she loved me when I had my own children. She was right. Then I was to have my second child. I was honestly fearful that I could love this baby as I did my first child. And then he was born and so came the increase of love. At no time did I make love happen. It came, it was there. And so I began to understand that love was a gift from God. He created us. He made us in His image. We are his His children. He loves us and He wants us to love one another. I came to understand sacrificial, unconditional love. Even in the times I did not like my children I always loved them and would to this day lay down my life for them. I began to understand the love God has for His children.

Over and over God has modeled love..........

.....It was His love that was patient with Abraham when he let fear overtake him and introduced his wife as his sister. (Genesis 12) Abraham still became the Father of nations.

.....It was His love that did not give up on Jacob when he deceived his father and Esau. (Genesis 27) He was to receive a new name, Israel, and also become the father of nations.

.....It was His love that did not take into account when Peter denied Jesus who was on His way to die for our sin. (Luke 22:54-62) Peter, an apostle of Jesus, was used by God to, in one day, lead 3,000 souls to Jesus, heal the sick and record the Word.

.....It was love that led God to send His Son into the world (John 3:16).

.....It was love that held Jesus to the cross, which bore all our sin, and endured all. (Luke 23)

Love is a gift. We can choose to receive that love and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Or we can reject the gift of love. Over the years I have learned that the more I love and invest in my relationship with God, the more He can grow me that I might love as He loves. Apart from Him and the gift of His love, I am nothing more than a noisy, selfish gong. (1 Cor. 13:1)

Sisters, prayerfully consider the following verse. Invite the Lord to reveal His great love for you. Allow the love of God to fill you up, that you may know the unspeakable joy of so great a love.

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. Does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:4-8a NAS)

Patricia L. Wenzel
WOC Graduate

DIGGING DEEPER
James 1:10-11
10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.