Love is the conquering power in a world of hatred, strife and selfishness. It can do what no other virtue can do, and, in that sense, is the queen of the graces. Love repays abuse with kindness. It prays for mercy for its executioners. It acts unselfishly when all around are clamoring for their rights. It gives until it can give no more.An Indian was driving his elephant along the street, goading it continually to increase its speed. Suddenly the steel goad slipped from his hand, tumbling with loud clanging on the pavement. The elephant swung around, picked up the goad with its trunk, and held it out to the master. Love is like that.In one of Aesop's fables, there was a contest between the sun and the wind over who could make a man remove his coat. The wind blew furiously, but the more it blew, the more he pulled the coat tightly around him. Then the sun shone down on him and he took off his coat. It changed him through warmth. Love is like that.Sir Walter Scott once threw a stone at a stray dog with such power and accuracy that it broke the dog's leg. As Scott stood there remorsefully, the dog limped up to him and licked the hand that had thrown the rock. Love is like that.Stanton hurled bitter invective at Lincoln, calling him a "low cunning clown" and "the original gorilla." He said that anyone would be foolish to go to Africa for a gorilla when there was one in Springfield. Lincoln turned the other cheek. In fact, he later appointed Stanton as War Minister, insisting he was the most qualified man for the job. When Lincoln was shot, Stanton stood by his lifeless body, wept openly and said, "There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen." Lincoln had conquered by turning the other cheek. Love is like that.E. Stanley Jones wrote, "By turning the other cheek you disarm your enemy. He hits you on the cheek and you, by your moral audacity, hit him on the heart by turning the other cheek. His enmity is dissolved. Your enemy is gone. You get rid of your enemy by getting rid of your enmity…The world is at the feet of the Man who had power to strike back but who had power not to strike back. That is power - the ultimate power."Sometimes it may seem that more can be accomplished by speaking the harsh word, by repaying tit for tat and by standing up for one's rights. These methods do have a certain amount of power. But the balance of power is on the side of love, because, instead of deepening hostility, love changes enemies into friends.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"The greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

You can have all the gifts and be very immature. Spiritual increase is not by knowing all these things, the way of growth is not by faith's power externally manifested, but more by inward endurance. Do you want to know the way of the increase of God? It is by love. What the Lord needs is an open, pure spirit towards Himself, and love toward all saints; the Lord will bring into His greater fullness where there is a genuine love one to the other - in Him.... The Ephesian letter in which there is the fullest unveiling of heavenly truth in the deepest teaching concerning the Church, the Body of Christ, there is from start to finish the golden thread of love running all through; this is significant when you consider what the letter contains. 1 Corinthians 13 is the great chapter 
on love, and is put over beside all the "gifts". Love is the real spirituality
that is spirituality. Love is the most difficult and the greatest of all 
gifts. "Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own 
affections" (2 Cor. 6:12 ASV). You are so narrow, so limited, like a closed hedge, 
pent up, cramped! "Our heart is enlarged, ye are not straitened in us."
The measure of our spiritual 
life is no greater than our heart; the knowledge that is in the head is not the 
measure of spirituality, the way for your release, emancipation, increase, 
abundance is the way of the heart. Spirituality is not mental agreement on 
things stated in the Word, it is the melting of one heart to another – to all 
saints. The devil has locked up a number of the Lord's children as in a padded 
room of their own limitations; frozen their love by something between them and 
other children of God. The way out is by increase of love; and we shall remain 
locked up until we are there.... True spirituality is the measure of love of God shed abroad in the heart, all the spirituals rest upon and have their rise out of love. Not power, or knowledge, or different gifts, these are not the first things, the first thing is love. That leads to the increase of God.

This devotional contains short daily portions from a selection of Mr. Austin-Sparks' messages. In his own words, “Perhaps this is just like a window opened into heaven. If you get the right window you can see quite a lot. You can see great things and you can see far things. But the best that I can hope is that this has just opened a window, and that as you look through it you are seeing one thing - how superior is Jesus Christ to all else, and how superior is the dispensation into which we have come, and how superior are all the resources at our disposal to all that ever was before!” Open Windows messages have been selected and compiled by Austin-Sparks.Net from the works of T. Austin-Sparks. In some cases they appear in abridged form. The introductory verse and its associated Bible version have been selected by the editor and did not always appear within the original message.

Open Windows

The Increase of God

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.<cr>1</cr> But the greatest of these is love.<cr>2</cr>

1 Corinthians 13:13

 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.   But the greatest of these is love.  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.   But the greatest of these is love.  

Bible Verse of the Day

December 9, 2022

1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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