February 14, 2024

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4.14, 15, 16)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

I read a quote today which said, “If everyone you meet today has felt loved by you then you have done well.” I could only respond that it would be impossible for everyone we meet today to feel loved by us if we truly loved them. In order for that to happen, we have to divorce ourselves from what “love” has come to mean in today’s world and be married to what “love” truly is as it was created for us in this world. Paul said it this way to the Ephesians, “…speak the truth in love….” In the exchange of gifts, tokens and words of affection, we make certain declarations of “love” to others. Yet, none of them matches the true gift of love which God has given to us in His Son, Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ, the Messiah, the one true King and Lord of all. We, as mighty ones of God, may certainly tote and quote lots of “love” scriptures but if we truly do not “have love” then we are just a noise, a nuisance, a matter that is here today and gone tomorrow. What we are called to desire is that “forever love” which abides in every time, place and circumstance of our lives.

There are times when we will feel the joy of love. There are times when we will feel the warmth of love. there are times when we will feel the power of love. There are times when we will know the fullness of love. There are times when we will experience the bitterness of love. Sometimes love hurts. Sometimes love elates. Sometimes love is a dim reflection showing us how far we are from the truth. Sometimes love is as clear to us as the sunset or a sunrise in a clear sky filled with hope and expectation we could not begin to imagine. Sometimes love just is. But, until we are engaged in making, creating, building, fostering, nurturing, cultivating and maintaining a relationship between each of us and all of us and God, then have we truly loved. Do we speak “authentic love” into the language that each person hears and can listen to? Do we reduce ourselves to “saying what is expected and desired” to give an air of affection? Are we loving to the level of the heart, mind, body and soul?

Keeping our eye on the prize is key and critical when it comes to love. All our “love” relationships ought to reflect positively and powerfully the love we have for God reflecting the love God has for us. When it happens then we see Christ clearly and others see Christ most definitely in us. This is the life we are called to live and know the worth and value of it.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit spoke us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.