The year has flown by and I cannot believe how different this day is compared to last year. The sweet taste of the Lord has faded, the overflowing joy has dried up and his powerful presence is no longer felt. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13.
I may be weak, but my faith is strong. The Lord is the source of my faith and he will perfect it. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:1b-2a. The emotions have left, but I am confident still. He chose me and he called me (Romans 8:30). I answered that call a year ago and the reason for all this gives me hope. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) Romans 8:24-25. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18.
What shall I say about this thing called love? A year ago I learned it's not just a feeling or an emotion. Feelings are probably the worst thing on which to base love. True love is something much stronger than ever-fluctuating emotions. I will love you when you're unlovable, when you're lazy, when you're selfish, when you're stubborn, when you're too tired, when you don't listen to me, when you feel like giving up, when you don't believe in me, when you make me angry, when you forget about me, when you love me less, when you love other things more, when you make mistakes, when you're unfaithful, when it hurts me, when it leads to my death...
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38.
I guess the joy hasn't completely dried up. :-D
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