Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7 NASB)
What a contrast! Without love, we are nothing; but with love we can endure all things. This verse is loaded with powerful statements. Each, worthy of their own devotion. Paul tells us that love bears all things. Not just any love! We all know of loves that could not stand up under the pressure. But there is a love that bears all things. It is the love of God that was first expressed toward us, then instilled in us. God proves this all-bearing love by sending Jesus into the world to bear all humanity’s sins. There wasn’t a single sin left. He bore each and every one and their consequences.
Love also encourages and empowers us to believe every truth of God’s Word even when our eyes of sight would have us believe otherwise. God’s love drove Him to believe in us when we were both unlovable and unbelievable. As Christians we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to believe in God’s Word and His promises for our lives. Love’s bearing and believing move us to hope in all things. Our hope isn’t just a wish but a certainty. We can be certain that God is and that He will bring all things to pass. We can be certain that even if it doesn’t look like it, God has a plan to prosper us and give us a hope and a future with Him. Lastly, Paul tells us that love endures all things–even we Christians face the hurts, pains, and suffering that the rest of the world experiences. We are able to endure all these things because we have a love that bears, believes, and hopes in all things.
One last thought. I know I have specifically emphasized the four words bear, believe, hope, and endure. I even used the NASB translation to get a better reflection from the original Greek. But what about the last phrase of each section of our verse “all things”? Stop for a minute! Meditate on the phrase “all things”. Connected to God’s love, there isn’t anything that we cannot bear, believe, hope, and endure.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church