MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL
Devotion for Friday February 14, 2020
Topic:
What is Love?
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1 – 3
Today
is the feast of St. Valentine; a day popularly known as Lovers’ day. “Appropriate
lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who
refused an unattested law attributed to Roman
Emperor Claudius
II, allegedly
ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow
his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest
Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When
Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail and
later executed” so says Wikipedia. Whether this lore is real
or not, the essence of love as seen in the story of St. Valentine has been
hijacked and abused.
The
excellent way Paul mentioned in the close of the former chapter, is not charity
in our common use of the word, almsgiving, but love in its fullest meaning;
true love for God and man. Love in this aspect is not romantic love as people
practice today. Paul explains that love for God and Man is the best gift which
God bestows on us. We should most earnestly desire and cherish it in our lives
and in others. What is love? In simple terms, Biblical love is simply sincere
obedience to God and his service, and serving fellow human beings. This
is the reason charity which is sometimes translated love means almsgiving.
Do
you have that gift of love in you? How much do you love your neighbours? How do
you use your gift of beauty, knowledge, money, strength and others talents? See
these passages; Luke 10:30 – 37 and 1 John 4:20
Food for Thought: Are you using your gifts in an excellent way?
Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 12:31
Prayer:
Lord, let love be the guiding principle of all my words and deeds.
