Above All, Love

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

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; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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.

Faith is Our Defense

Once we choose the Truth and begin walking in it, we are at the same time rejecting the lies that Satan wants so much for us to accept. However, as we have learned, our uncontrolled emotions can complicate matters. It can be very difficult to sort out truth from untruth because of how we feel about a certain situtation. For these reasons, we must find the truth from the Word of God and act upon it. This is faith.

A wonderful aspect of faith according to Ephesians 6:16 is that it is a shield as we use it to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." In order to refute Satan's lies, you and I must be fully persuaded of the truth of all God's promises. This kind of faith is wholly effective because it exposes the enemy's deception and reveals the Lord's perspective, which is true and right and just.

Let us always remember that our minds are the battle field. It is interesting that even when we choose to believe and act on the truth, the warfare continues the "noisy" uproar in our heads. The way to quiet the storm is by filling your thoughts with God's Word, even if you must read aloud. The enemy cannot stand against the Truth, so begin speaking it to those around you, on the phone, and to yourself.

"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ," Ephesians 4:14-15.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," Romans 10:17.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him," Hebrews 11:6.

By faith we understand that we are dependent upon the Lord for the grace and strength to stand firm against the fiery darts of our enemy. We know that our faith is the greatest weapon against his lies and deceit. The Lord is our defense, and all we are to do is run to Him.

Love, Karen