“Love (God’s love)…its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].”
1 Corinthians 13:7c (AMPC)
Imagine a love that is constant, beyond emotions, beyond feelings that is steadfast as a hope that is fadeless under all circumstances and endures everything that comes its way without weakening? What a beautiful love that is and what a beautiful love that we receive. Not only that, it is a love that is within us to have and to give.
The love of God is truly a lifestyle of greater surrender beyond our emotions. In this verse, we see how the love of God focuses on a hope that is “fadeless under all circumstances.” “Hope” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.” In other words, this type of hope is based on an expectation or feeling connected to what we want to happen. On the other hand, the God kind of hope, is where we place our confidence and expectation in God’s promises for our lives. This is where we remain steadfast on the hope with “favorable expectation” in what God’s Word says to be true.
God’s love working in us gives us this confidence in and through every circumstance of life. It’s a love to see His breakthrough power in motion in our lives. In Romans 4:18 (NIV) it says, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…” Now Abraham had all reason to lose hope, as daily his emotions and feelings were tested not seeing the promise come to pass in his “timeframe”. Yet, he embraced hope according to the Word of God and His Promises, to believe everything God said to be true and so it was for him. The love of God gives us this confident assurance that is fadeless despite what circumstances or situations look like and it endures without weakening.
There are always going to be things around us that are ever-changing. God’s love sees beyond it all such as: news, reports, circumstances, comments, feelings, emotions, etc., that do not look, sound, or feel good or even that make us want to lose hope. Yet, we daily have a choice to press beyond and place our hope in God and in His Word. This hope is based on WHO He is and WHAT He Promises. This is a hope beyond emotions. It is a hope that is steadfast in His love for us that is fadeless, that uplifts us, that keeps us focused, and that keeps us persevering. When given all reason to lose hope, it endures, it presses beyond and continues to stand on what God Word says. This is a love we are all called to live our and embrace.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
In this season, God has really been helping me to see His love with new eyes and heart. As I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians 13, I have realized how God is calling me to live out His love daily. Not just in words but as a lifestyle. It’s a choice, a daily decision that has led me to really press beyond my emotions or feelings and to stand on His Word and promises He has given me.
Have you been in a situation like Abraham, where you felt you have lost all hope? Have you been going through some challenges that had your emotions all over the place? Let me encourage you to go back to God’s Word and remain steadfast on the His promises He has given you. Press into God’s love and know that His love is constant. His love for you is a love in motion. Despite what circumstances arise, go to God’s Word and with joyful expectation remain steadfast to know that God’s love endures everything [without weakening]! Let’s embrace His love and live it out! (Nicole Silva)
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Lord, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You for leading me to deepen and strengthen my life with Your love. Today, I choose to have hope, that joyful expectation, according to Your Word, that ignites Your love to endure everything without weakening. I choose this day to embrace Your life and ignite Your love to be alive and in motion in me.”
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
- Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 5-6; Psalms 126
- New Testament: Luke 7:36-50; Colossians 2:1-7
