Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling 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, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake 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 through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).
Today's Morsel: We just finished having a slab of concrete poured so that we could put in a storage shed. I asked the contractor how long would it take it to harden before we could use it for the shed. And he said, "Oh, it will be hardened by this afternoon." I thought to myself, that is really fast. Wouldn't it be neat if our love for one another was cemented that fast? Well it should, if we say that we are born again, because God is love. When we look at 1Corinthains 13, The Love Chapter of the Bible, as some call it, Paul lists some important things about love, and each of them is worth a daily review. First, we must notice that Paul had just finished explaining to his listeners, the Corinthians, the use of the gifts of the Spirit, how they should be used, and how they should operate in the church. But then he tells them, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31). Then he begins to show and to teach them that the greatest of all gifts that one can have or possess is the gift of love. Because if we do not have love, we are nothing, he says. In other words, I can be the best preacher in the world, I can be the best teacher, the best singer, the best administrator, or I can speak in tongues until I'm blue in the face, but if I do not have love, I am nothing. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). If (Insert your name) does not have love, (insert your name) is nothing. We must be controlled by the laws of love. We must love God first and our neighbor as ourselves.
Sing: I told Him I loved Him, it was easy to say, but harder to prove it when temptation came my way; for what good are broken promises, I count them all but loss, when I caught a glimpse of true love hanging on an old rugged cross.
Chorus: I love Him too much to fail Him now! Too much to break my vow! For I promised the Lord that I would make it somehow, and now I love him to much to fail Him now!
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