Daily Huddle - Thu Jun 4, 2020 What's Missing?

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
Have you noticed one thing that is missing?  In the midst of difficulties, struggles, unrest, misunderstandings, bad news that seems to keep coming, tragedies, injustice on all sides.  Have you noticed one thing is glaringly missing?   Love.  I Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient.  Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.   It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   Love never fails.   Do you know why love is missing?  Because obedience is missing.  To love is to obey.  Jesus said it multiple times.  That’s what love is.  To obey.  Obey His commands.  If you reject what God commands, and practice something else... What if you were impatient? unkind, envious, boastful and proud, rude and self-seeking, and easily angered.  What if you kept a record of all the wrongs committed against you…  What if you delighted in evil, for whatever justification you used.  What if you rejoiced in falsehood, and rejected truth.  What if you didn’t protect, didn’t trust, didn’t hope, didn’t persevere, continually?  What would your life, your marriage, your family or society look like?  We are getting a glimpse.  It’s the lack of love. How easily recognized in others, rarely seen in ourselves.  The result is awful!  Praying that you will be patient.  That’s not patient as in complacent, that’s patient in persistence, faithful in prayer, and faithful like the woman who came every day before the unjust judge, until he finally tired of her and gave her justice.  Aren’t you so thankful that God is nothing like the unjust judge – He is Holy and Righteous and Good, and He’s your Heavenly Father – who will bless you every time you call on Him.  Praying that you will be kind, when others are unkind.  That you will empathize not criticize, you don’t have to agree with everything to grieve with their hurt.  If your spouse shares their feelings, you could take offense at the way they said it, it kinda sounded like they were blaming you...  You could be defensive, or you could be protective, ignore the delivery, look past their words, and understand their heart.  Praying that you will be humble, never rude or self-seeking.  Sometimes being humble, is being right without having to say it.  Sometimes being humble is trusting God to work things out, not you setting everybody straight.  Sometimes, it’s time for truth in love, but sometimes it’s time to be silent and wait on the LORD.  When everyone is talking, one more voice is just noise.  Only the Holy Spirit can reveal this - when it's time for the one, and when it's time for the other.  Walk in the Spirit – and you won’t be flesh-driven.  Wow, how simple is that – but so – not easy to do, if you’ve been in the habit of giving way to the flesh – it always wants more.  Praying that you won’t be easily angered by little things - even when they seem big.  Why start a fire, why not tamp it out before it gets out of control?  Praying that you will forgive, not keep a record of all the wrongs done to you.  That’s a heavy load to carry everywhere.  It can slow your life down, and even prevent you from ever getting to the good God has planned for you.  Praying that you would never delight in evil, no matter what the justification, but your delight would be in God’s Word, His Truth and His Life.  Praying that you will always protect, trust, hope, and persevere, continually.   So how will this prayer ever be answered?  You cannot do these things.  Because that kind of love is the love that only comes from God.  Humans don’t do that in their nature.  It’s only by the Holy Spirit – in your new nature – that this kind of love becomes real.  Praying that this will be a time that you grow in the Holy Spirit, so that when it comes to you - love will never be missing – but demonstrated daily.
 
Love you all,
dad