Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

In today’s devotion, Loving God and Others with All Your Heart, Darla Czeropski shares her thoughts on the scripture found in Mark 12:30 NIV, where Jesus commands us to:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”( Mark 12:30 NIV).

A deep pang cut through my heart. How can I ever love the way Jesus instructs?

The Apostle Paul penned a description of what love should look like with little room for excuse in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NLT; he clarifies what love is and is not. Sadly, I noted that I fell short.

I reread the scriptures and realized maybe Paul wasn’t writing a love list I could never quite accomplish. Instead, perhaps these words swelled from a feeling of experience. Maybe he was writing about the love of God, a perfect love proven in his life again and again.

Paul experienced the agape love of God when blinded on the road to Emmaus. Agape love is the sacrificial love we see through the cross of Jesus Christ. This perfect love transformed Paul from the inside out. From that day forward, he longed to be like Christ, so others could also experience God’s love.

That’s it. God is love! So, I replaced the word love with God and directed the focus of Paul’s words to God’s love towards me.

Memories of God’s grace overwhelmingly washed over me, reading, “…God is not easily angered; God keeps no record of my wrongs.” 

I hope you feel God’s overwhelming love as I turn the focus of this passage towards you.

Friend, God is patient and kind with you. He doesn’t envy or boast, and He isn’t proud. God does not dishonor you. He is not self-seeking. You do not easily anger Him; He keeps no record of your wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with you in the truth. He always protects you, always trusts you, always hopes for you, always perseveres with you. God never, ever fails you.

If you are unsure if you can ever meet the “love list” challenge, remember that God’s agape love is available in you. His love assures and enables us to love others as He loves us!

In what areas do you need help meeting the expectations of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a? Does knowing God’s love is in you give you confidence to meet this challenge?

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com/