Nov 10: Matthew 4, Jeremiah 19, Psalm 89
Nov 11: Matthew 5, Jeremiah 20, Psalm 90
Nov 12: Matthew 6, Jeremiah 21, Psalm 91
Nov 13: Matthew 7, Jeremiah 22, Psalm 92
Nov 14: Matthew 8, Jeremiah 23, Psalm 93
Nov 15: Matthew 9, Jeremiah 24, Psalm 94
1 Corinthians_13
Scripture
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
Observation
Probably one of my most favorites. Paul is writing to the church of Corinth and, here, he turns to the topic of love – the need for and importance of it as well as some of the characteristics of it.
Understanding
All these years I’ve read and loved 1 Corinthians, I must be honest, I’ve camped out on verses 1-7 and ended it after the first part of verse 8 – Love never fails. I still love those verses – the understanding that THAT is what love is, that we get to experience that perfect love from our perfect Father and that His love never fails. Gets my heart all warm and fuzzy soaking in those verses. But, reading today, I had to dig a little as I did not understand the part that came next.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
And now, after having done some research, I might like this part even more than the first! :)
Matthew Henry’s commentary explains this way (bold emphasis mine)…
“(v. 9) Our best knowledge and our greatest abilities are at present like our condition, narrow and temporary. Even the knowledge they had by inspiration was but in part. How little a portion of God, and the unseen world, was heard even by apostles and inspired men! How much short do others come of them! But these gifts were fitted to the present imperfect state of the church, valuable in themselves, but not to be compared with charity, because they were to vanish with the imperfections of the church, nay, and long before, whereas charity was to last for ever.III. He takes occasion hence to show how much better it will be with the church hereafter than it can be here. A state of perfection is in view (v 10): When that which is perfect shall come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When the end is once attained, the means will of course be abolished. There will be no need of tongues, and prophecy, and inspired knowledge, in a future life, because then the church will be in a state of perfection, complete both in knowledge and holiness. God will be known then clearly, and in a manner by intuition, and as perfectly as the capacity of glorified minds will allow; not by such transient glimpses, and little portions, as here.”
You see, when God’s perfect love is complete, we will know Him and experience Him more and far deeper than we have yet or even can in our human condition. I don’t know about you, but that excites me!
What we’ve experienced with God – even the most impactful encounters we’ve had – are just the beginning!
Life Application
The best is yet to come. Live with ALL the love – as it is a representation of God and all His goodness and it’s one of the easiest ways we can share Him others – here and now; but look forward with anticipation to what’s to come…because we’ve only seen the smallest piece of how truly magnificent it will be.
God, I thank you that you love us enough to reveal your nature to us…in amounts that we can withstand in our human condition. But I look forward to seeing and experiencing you fully! May I take every opportunity to seek you, to love you, to share your love with others today.
Rei
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1 Corinthians 12
Scripture 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Observation-What does it say?: Because the city of Corinth is a trade hub, where people from different cultural backgrounds and far off locales converged, we see how God’s grace is truly meant for all people. Paul points out that we are all subject to Christ and the Holy Spirit, who poured out grace and spiritual gifts on us. Furthermore, we are dependent on the other members of our body in fulfilling God’s will in the world and in our individual lives. Because of the nature of the city, there couldn’t have been a better place to show the impartiality of God’s love. God loves us no matter what our background, and he gives us gifts based on his need.
Understanding-What does it mean?: It seems to me, in retrospect, the trying times in my life have been some of the best times in my life. They are never fun in the moment, but I always seem to learn and grow the most. They are also the times that I have experienced the love of the church the most, and was able to see my dependence on others.
While living in Oregon during bible college, I came down with the most painful stomach ache of my life. I ended up in the hospital for a few days, with no sign of what the cause was. I ended up having to have “exploratory surgery.” When the doctor told me what was going to happen, I was in so much pain that my concern for what “exploratory” meant didn’t matter. I wanted the pain to stop, and I didn’t care how it happened. During the surgery, the doctor found my small intestine had wrapped around a piece of scar tissue from another surgery. This blocked my small intestine and cut a hole in the wall of that organ.
I spent almost a month in the hospital while I recovered. While there, I was visited by a large number of my class mates and people from church. They prayed over me and offered love and encouragement in an overwhelming way. I had only been in school for about two months before going into the hospital, so I barely knew any of these people. But, God was showing me how much I needed other people. He was showing me how much I needed to depend on Him. In my best times, I tend to act like I don’t need others and that I can take care of myself. But when I am struggling, I experience God’s love and provision through the kind acts of the church body.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians that Jesus is the “head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (1:22-23). When we act in our area of gifting, we are helping to make the body work how it should. Where I lack, others may excel, and I can only thank God for those around me.
Life Application: Jesus, help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and how I am gifted. I know that my gifting is meant for a certain purpose in Your will and plan. Thank you for the diversity of the people you have called to work for you, that through all of the parts of the body You are glorified.
-Tyler Galloway