LABOR OF LOVE – PART FIVE
Friday – November 10, 2017
Goodness, Friday already, have we made the best use of our time this week, what Scripture describes as redeeming the time? Have we taken control of our emotions, will, and thoughts and practiced walking in the same love that our Heavenly Father walks in? Well, now to the primary text for our Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 6:9-12 (KJV)
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
As you and I may be all too aware God through me has been dealing with eliminating our selfishness and replacing it with selflessness as part of our love walk. The devil and the world tell us we have got to look out for number one buddy cause if you don’t nobody else will. That is false.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Okay, ready or not here we go with the love Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (KJV)
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
We now come to the seventh verse, let’s look at this in a different translation as we resolve before the Lord to change more and more into His image and likeness even today.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMP)
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
The word “beareth” has to do with patient endurance with an underlying idea of putting a roof over our head. This roof is the hedging of the Holy Spirit, the thing, the words that are coming our way are null concerning us just as a roof keeps the rain out of the house. The phrase in the KJV of “believeth all things” is generally or more commonly translated as “ready to believe the best of every person”. Wow, I must ask myself if this is true of me? Those of you who have some experience with ministering to others know there can be many slings and arrows, much frustration, movement forward, and movement backwards at times. All of that must roll off our backs like water off a ducks’ back. Now, what about “hopeth all things”? Recall that Bible hope is not at all like natural hope that is filled with uncertainty. Bible hope is an earnest expectation with confidence. A hope given of God (a promise) will come to pass when decreed in faith powered by love with a very healthy sprinkling of thanksgiving. For example, we have the hope of the salvation for our children. This is a certainty in the Hands of God if we waver not. A lack of faith and love on our part can result in people being destroyed by the curse, dying, and going to Hell.
Isaiah 49:25 (KJV)
25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
Is there any unbelief expressed by God here, any wiggle room? Finally, what about this thing of “endureth all things”? Most of us do not get a kick out of enduring anything we consider bad. It seems in part because we think it has something to do with us. The slings and arrows of the devil are a waste of his time. Do you have your hazmat suit on (armor of God)? We do not allow the unrighteous words or actions of anyone to penetrate the armor, do not let them into your thought life as having the capacity to harm you, you are encased in an impenetrable armor. I will end this week and this particular study of love with the following verse.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Without the love of God, as His child our love, which at the start is a baby edition of His love, all that we do is of no value to the Kingdom of God, it is like hay, wood, and stubble when tested by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Let us seek to be productive sons and daughters of the Kingdom producing gold, silver, and precious stones for our Lord.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (GW)
24 The LORD will bless you and watch over you.
25 The LORD will smile on you and be kind to you.
26 The LORD will look on you with favor and give you peace.’
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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