1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13

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.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Personal Challenge

This passage on love provides a very clear definition of the quality of love that is expected of a follower of Christ and the expectation to love our neighbor. If we find ourselves abandoning these qualities of love as we deal with the those who are migrants (illegal or illegal), those who are professing a different sexual orientation as expected, those who have aborted a child, or any other act that we disagree with, then we are not following in the footsteps of Christ. The same goes for if we are supporting and enabling people that abandon these qualities of love. If we want to see our world change to be more loving, caring, and Christ-like, then we most start by being more loving, caring, and Christ-like and supporting those who do the same. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner and lead me in your pathway of loving my neighbor!!

Proverbs 3:1-2

My son, do not forget my laws,
But let your heart keep my words;
For length of days, and years of life and peace
They will add to you.

Personal Challenge

So many who proclaim to be followers of Christ fail to do the things every day that make it possible to truly follow in the footsteps of Christ. We must do everything we can to not forget God, who He is, what He has done for us, and the precepts and laws that He has given us. We need to keep His words in our hearts, which means we need to be reading them. By doing these things we will have years of true peace and fullness of life. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Personal Challenge

The Christian life is a life lived in community. We cannot work out our salvation alone. We need others to love as our neighbor. We need others to show us where we have gone astray. We are all blessed with different spiritual gifts and the expectation is that we will use those gifts to build up the community that God has put us in. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 2:1-6

My son, if you receive the words of my commandment
And hide them within yourself,
Your ear will be obedient to wisdom,
And you will incline your heart to understanding;
You will entrust it to your son as an admonition.
For if he calls upon wisdom,
And you utter your voice for understanding;
If you seek perception with a strong voice,
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as treasure,
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom,
And from His face come knowledge and understanding;

Encouraging Words

God does not expect us to do anything to earn our passage to heaven. He gives it to us without asking for anything in return. He created this passage through His incarnate Son. He does offer to us so much more than this earthly life can offer, if we will only incline our heart to His understanding. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 1:22

So long a time as the simple hold fast to righteousness,
They shall not be ashamed;

Personal Challenge

It is so important for us to realize that the way to righteousness in this earthly temporal life is to live humble and simple lives. This is so contradictory to the world’s way of thinking that is always pressing us toward complexity and self-aggrandizement. If we choose to follow Christ and live a simple and humble life, we can better love our God and our neighbor. Living this way will eliminate the chance of ever being ashamed. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

Personal Challenge

Jesus fulfilled the law of the Old Testament covenant. He ushered in a whole new law. That law is to love our God with all of our heart, mind, body, and spirit and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In essence this has made it “legal” for me to do anything that I want as long as these two expectations of loving are not violated. Where this leaves me is to determine if my choices, my actions, will be edifying to God and seeking the other’s well-being or edifying to me and seeking my own. The latter is what draws me away from God and injures my brother. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Proverbs 1:20-21a

Wisdom sings in the streets;
She moves boldly in the squares.
She preaches on high city walls
And sits at the gates of lords.

Encouraging Words

The early church taught that Wisdom in the Old Testament refers to Jesus, even though it is often referred to in a feminine context. Here we see Wisdom singing in the streets, moving about boldly in the squares of the city, preaching high on city walls, and sitting at the gates of lords. Wisdom is not idle. Wisdom is seeking those who will embrace her and let her permeate their lives. Wisdom is available to all of us who have a fear, or awe, for our God. Glory be to Him!