1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love Never Ends
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 22, 2020 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
(Understanding the Text) Paul gives signs of love. These are like checklists that show whether we are operating from love or not. They are not love. They are the result of love. Here are the signs of love: patience, kindness, no jealousy, no bragging, no arrogance, no rudeness, no imperious demands (letting others’ ways go first), no irritability, no resentment, not cheering on wrong actions, joy in the truth, bearing the negative, belief, hope, endurance.
Then Paul adds one last qualification of love–it never ends. Love is eternal. Everything else we learn to do to adapt to living on this sinful world will end. Spiritual gifts that we are given to fight the war we are in here, will no longer be needed when the war is done. There is only one lesson/gift we learn/receive that will be just as necessary after sin is gone as it has been before: love.
(Application / Prayer) I think one of my weaknesses is insisting on my own way. Another is being irritable/resentful. I think this is sometimes because I don’t feel like the other person loves me, and yet I expect him/her to. I have a problem with bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring. My love tries to die all the time. I need Your help so that my love will grow instead of dying out.
(Revelation of God) These signs of love could apply to our relationship with God. We love Him, so we are willing to bear the pain that comes from denying self, taking up our cross, and following Him. We love Him so we trust Him to take care of us. We believe Him when He tells us that He is with us. We have hope because we love Him and He loves us. Because of our hope, we endure through difficulties to reach the love we know is there with us, even when we can’t feel or see it.
(Prayer) I pray to love. I am not good at it. I need more love.