DAILY BREAD OF LIFE….
THURSDAY 5TH NOV., 2020

WORD FOCUS: LOVE SUFFERS LONG (1)
TEXT : 1Cor 13:4 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;…“

After establishing the supreme importance of love as a necessary condition for the value of the exercise of other gifts, Paul proceeded to give his exposition of the nature of agape. In verse 4, Paul began to make a series of affirmations about love. He wrote Love suffers long (v.4a). The verb suffers can also imply to endure, stand, stomach, swallow, tolerate, allow, permit etc. while long here connotes unduly extended, protracted, or prolonged in space and time. Already we have seen the match between how the Christian is commanded to behave and the customary behavior of God Himself. Just as God is the ultimate standard of love, so He is the ultimate standard of long-suffering; a fruit of the Spirit distinct from the fruit of love ( Gal 5:22).One of the most difficult virtues for us is to patiently bear injuries from others. When we are called on to suffer, it is our earnest hope and prayer that the suffering will be short especially protracted suffering which is the most difficult to bear. Beloved, for a moment let us think of those whom Jesus healed: a man born blind, the woman with the issue of blood, and the crippled man by the pool of Bethesda: After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem…..In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of water……who has an infirmity thirty-eight years. “Do you want to be made well”? the sick man answered Him, Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. (John 5:1-9)

In the Scripture above, this poor man had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. For almost four decades, he had nourished hope that he would gain some relief from his affliction. Suddenly, the end of his pain came when he encountered Jesus. The healing of Christ was the prize of his long-suffering. With physical injury or any form of sickness and disease, we have no choice but to endure or stand as long as the infirmity lasts because Jesus is able to help us bear and overcome it. However, when it comes to bearing the personal attacks or slander of others, our behavior takes on a much greater voluntary dimension. For instance, we may receive injuries at the hands of others that are physical or involve the loss of personal property or even worse tragic events. But the theft of our good name or the loss of our reputation by way of slander is pretty difficult to accept. Here are some instances we face in this journey of life;
Some injure others in their good name, by reproaching or speaking evil of them behind their backs. Some injure others by making or spreading false reports about them, and so cruelly slandering them. Others, without saying that which is directly false, greatly misrepresent things, picturing out everything respecting their neighbors in the worst colors, exaggerating their faults, and setting them forth as far greater than they really are. Always speaking of them in an unfair and unjust manner. A great deal of injury is done among neighbors by this uncharitable judging one another, and putting injurious and evil constructions on one another’s words and actions.May the Lord help us to understand this admonition in Jesus name amen.

MEDITATION: 1st John 4:8-9

STUDY THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2TIM 2; JER 7&8; PS 122

#DailyBreadOfLife

#2020JesusSignsAndWonders

#Godhead Interdenominational Ministry