The Greatest of These

God lives and works today, and through his only Son, Jesus Christ, he has given us the power to become his children. What does it mean to be his child? It is a matter of eternity. Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink will give some insight into this, the greatest of all privileges and responsibilities.

A lawyer once asked Jesus, which commandment is the greatest? Jesus answered him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Today we hear so much about brotherly love, but unfortunately it's so often talked about apart from the scriptures.

And the Bible gives us very clear rules and standards about this love. One day I was struck by a verse of scripture found in 1st John chapter 3. By this it may be seen who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.

A child of the devil? That I didn't want to be by any means. I wanted to be a child of the heavenly Father who is love. So I asked myself, where am I lacking love? And what are the characteristics of this love? The love which comes from our Lord Jesus is like a bright sun with many rays, and I must have all of these rays.

Some of these rays are mentioned in 1st Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient and kind. It's not jealous or boastful.

It doesn't insist on its own way. Love bears all things, believes all things. It hopes all things.

It endures everything. Love never ends. Yes, even when it's been disappointed again and again, it's always ready to make a new start.

It's ready to forgive and to trust again. Now perhaps you're thinking, I'll never reach this goal. It's impossible.

However, these attributes of love should fill our hearts with joy. Yes, they can all be ours through our Lord Jesus, who is the very source of love. Jesus, the eternal love, loves us so much that he was willing to die for us on the cross so that we might be redeemed from all our sin.

Yes, he has redeemed us from our bitterness, from our judging, impatience, and anger, all of our sins against love. Even when everything appears hopeless and there's not a single spark of love in our hearts, Jesus' redemption still holds true. When we praise and claim his victory in faith over our lack of love, he will hear us and act accordingly.

You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N.org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address.

God bless you.