Morning Devotions; 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, is written as an acrostic in Hebrew. We loose that in both English and Greek, but in Hebrew Paul had a lesson for us to learn from the picture language of the Hebrew alphabet. 

For instance…. 
Aleph: the first Hebrew letter represents the mighty leader, it is the first letter for both man and love. People are primary in creation. Love is primary with the Almighty. In love the Almighty gave Adam something that the rest of creation does not have, he gave language. Animals can communicate, but only men have language. We can say any crazy thing we want with our gift of language but if we speak without the love (ahab) of the Almighty we are just an irritating noise to a world hungry for the love of YHVH (the LORD). 

  
Love is primary to a believer in Y’shua-Jesus. In this world we have freedom to use our natural gifts to pursue just about anything we want. We can “follow our hearts” down any path in life that we believe will make us happy and fulfilled. But if the love that is from the Spirit of Y’shua does not own and direct us on The Way (the path of righteous living for the Almighty) then whatever we think we have to say is no more then irritating background noise. Our greatest accomplishments in education (verse 2) amount to nothing without love. 

If I have the gift of  prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.        1 Corinthians 13:2 nasu

If it were true that all we needed to “go to heaven” was more good deeds then bad, so that we are motivated to give away our wealth to the hungry, or gave ourselves as a consecration offering to the Almighty (a burnt offering, or what we might refer to as a "suicide bombing"), thinking that our life is a fair trade-in for heaven, we will end up with nothing but filthy ashes. It is only Y’shua, living in our hearts because of his love covenant with us, that gives our life and sacrifices any value. 

  
According to verse 5, all of our accomplishments and self-effort tend to make us proud, arrogant. What we do in selfish effort is for our self, not for the love of the Almighty and the people he loves. We do what we do for our own ego which is easily crushed and made bitter. However the Love of the Almighty sets me free to rest in hope (not "hope so" but knowledge that eternal life is mine to live now and in the after-life) instead of spending my time trying to earn my way to paradise. I am humbled by the love gift of Y’shua-Jesus and walk His Way in His Love. I speak what I know to be truth, not for applause but for the love of the Almighty and for others. I keep speaking truth in love because the author of love will be coming soon and there is no time to waste! 

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.                1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

For now…. We see our future dimly, so we walk by faith in the truth. We like evidence of faith but we know that the evidence we see is not the full picture of the great love to come. 
  
For now… we know the little bits about eternal life that will one day come together like a puzzle when Y’shua-Jesus returns for us. 
  
For now… it is enough that we are fully known by the Beloved who fully loves us. That my friends is the greatest thing about the believers life!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.   1 Corinthians 13:12-13  

Mrs. Hagerty, December 2, 2015