Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [109] Sonnet of Love (17) Love Never Fails

Love Never Fails

We're nearing the end of Paul's Sonnet of Love in 1 Corinthians 13 and have come to the fourteenth word which the apostle has piled upon thirteen others to try and capture the magnitude of true love. Today's word is - "Love never fails."

But doesn't love fail?

Every reader will know of cases and situations where love has indeed failed. Marriages that have been torn apart - and stayed that way. Families that have divided - until death do us part. Friends that have taken different roads never to walk together again.

When the American Comedian Jerry Lewis died in 2017 he intentionally left his sons from his first marriage, along with their descendants, out of his will.

Human love does fail, but Paul is not referring to human love. He is referring to divine love.

In the NIV "love never fails" is placed at the start of the next paragraph, where it belongs.

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away... And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Divine love never fails because it continues into eternity. We will be loved for ever. Out of the Triumvirate of graces, Faith, Love and Hope, only Love runs beyond time.

Faith lasts only in time, for one day faith will give way to sight. Hope lasts only for this present age because hope will give way to that which we hoped for. But love? Well love - alone -  lasts for eternity.

Summing it All Up

There is a danger in studying the words of 1 Corinthians 13 that we spiral into despair as we discover how far we fall from them. But we must remind ourselves that Paul is describing first and foremost God's love for us. And then he is describing the love which by the Holy Spirit he has poured into our hearts. With God's help we can begin to love like this.

To put into practice "love never fails" is to ask the Lord for his divine help and to seek to continue loving even our enemies for as long as we have breath.

To put "love never fails" into practice is to push no-one out of the scope of our love, to never say of anyone "I'm finished with them," but to always leave the door open.

A SONG FOR THE DAY
Throughout writing this blog I have found myself humming a spiritual song, which sums up the never-dying love of the Lord for us.

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

 

Chorus

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

 

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,

Jesus came down to bring me salvation,

Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,

Now I belong to Him;

 

Chorus

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

 

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,

Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me

His precious blood, He came to redeem,

Now I belong to Him;

 

Chorus

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

https://lyricstranslate.com

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,

Jesus came down to bring me salvation,

Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,

Now I belong to Him;

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,

Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me

His precious blood, He came to redeem,

Now I belong to Him;

Norman Clayton

You can hear it HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Ever-loving Father in heaven,

We thank you for your divine and eternal love for us. We thank you that your love never fails.

We thank you that in the world to come you will continue to provide for us, lead us and care for us.

No wonder your Son is worshipped in that realm as "the Lamb upon the throne," and thus always with the reminder of the sacrificial love he had and continues to have for us. 

Teach us a little of what it means to love like you love, in our marriages, families, churches and neighbourhoods.

And do this for your glory's sake we pray,

Amen.

Photo by Luc Tribolet on Unsplash