“Love suffers long and is kind . . .” 1 Corinthians ... His love truly suffers long and
never gives up. ... Please forgive me and give me the strength to love as You.
Enduring Love “Love suffers long and is kind . . .” 1 Corinthians 13:4(a) NKJV God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the forbidden fruit. They ate the forbidden fruit. God commanded the Israelites not to worship idols after leading them out of slavery. They carved idols and worshipped them. God accepted sacrifices and asked His people to obey His commandments. Day after day, they disobeyed His commandments. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them to turn from their rebellious ways and to turn to God. God’s prophet Jonah refused to do what God commanded and, instead, “ran away” from God. Jesus came down from heaven and became flesh to walk among His people and to show them The Way. The very people that He came to rescue mocked Him, viciously beat Him, and brutally nailed Him to a cross to die. From generation to generation, man has turned from God’s commands and has gone astray. God could have turned away from mankind a long time ago; however, He has chosen to patiently wait for man to turn to Him and to repent. His love truly suffers long and never gives up. What amazing, enduring love! It is this great love that brings us to our knees before Him with a repentant and thankful heart. We stand in awe of such unconditional love and are thankful that He patiently waited for us and has never left us. Instead of merely calling us to be recipients of this long suffering love, God also calls us to be doers of this love. He commands us to “Love each other as I have loved you” John 15:12. Therefore, He commands us to suffer long in our love with people that don’t deserve our love, that (sometimes daily) reject our love, or those that take advantage of our love. He commands us to leave our arms open wide to them and patiently love them as He has loved us. This is definitely not an easy thing to do, but it is something that we (as Christians) must do and can do through Him. How patient is your love? Do you suffer long with those that are difficult to love or do you turn away and stop giving them your love? God is calling us to have this love—a love that suffers long and continues to give regardless of how others receive such love. This is His love and He commands us to have and to give His love without ceasing. Father, I am guilty of not suffering long in my love for others. I tend to love those who are lovable and turn away from those who are unloveable. Please forgive me and give me the strength to love as You have loved me—with a long suffering love. You loved me when I was utterly unlovable; when I intentionally turned from You and day after day strayed from Your commands. You never turned away from me, but kept on loving me. It was this patient and enduring love that broke my hardened heart and turned me to You. I must love as You have loved me and that means loving those that I do not want to love. I praise You for Your love that never runs dry on me and I humbly ask that You fill me with Your love, so that my love can never run dry on others. In Christ’s Love,
