Read: Galatians 5: 16-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, …” - Galatians 5: 22
When asked what his favorite text in the Bible was, John Stott, the renowned Bible scholar replied, “Galatians 5: 22-23. It seems to me to contain truths which are of enormous importance to all the people of God. Every day, for perhaps twenty years, I have quoted it to myself in my morning devotions and prayed for its fulfillment in my life.” The first truth of the fruit of the Spirit is that love is the pre-eminent Christian grace. Love is the greatest thing in the world. For God is love (I John 4: 8, 16) in His innermost being. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are eternally united with each other in self-giving love. So He who is love, has set His love upon us, and calls us to love Him and others in return. “Love is the principal, the paramount, the pre-eminent, the distinguishing characteristic of the people of God.” The second truth is that love brings joy and peace. Human beings have always pursued joy and peace though they usually employ the more secular word ‘happiness’ to it. “Joy and peace are extremely elusive blessings. Even as we reach out a hand to grasp it, happiness vanishes into thin air. For joy and peace are not suitable goals to pursue; they are by-products of love,” writes John Stott. God gives us joy and happiness not when we pursue them, but when we pursue HIM! The self-conscious pursuit of happiness will always end in failure. But when we forget ourselves in self-giving service of love, joy and peace will come flooding into our lives.
Dear friends, let our hearts be filled with the overflowing love of God. Then, this love will flow as a fountain to our fellow human beings, which will in turn bring unfading joy and peace to us.PRAYER: Dear Lord, in I Corinthians 13, Paul says that love is the greatest of all – greater than faith, speaking in tongues, prophesying or service. Let me love others with a selfless love like Yours and in turn receive the joy and peace that comes from loving You and others as well. Amen.
Honey Drops || Daily Devotion
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