"Show and Cover"

1 Peter 4:8a "Most important of all Continue to show deep love for each other"

I had to circle the word "continue"..which means "stretched out"...without ceasing. And I had to circle the word "show." That word indicates that it’s not enough to have love in our heart – We must SHOW love in our life!

1 Peter 4:8b "For love covers a mulititude of sins"

As I was looking up the word for "cover" I found something interesting. It means to "hinder the knowledge of"..we will have to make a choice to hinder the knowledge of what people have done or said to us that offends us. Putting into practice 2 Cor 2:15 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

This truth is so important that it is also taught in the Old Testament in Proverbs 10:12 (CEV) "Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs others do."

Sometimes the very thing that makes loving others challenging to you and me.... is the fact that they have weaknesses. So the Bible says what you and I have to do is cover those sins - not in the sense of pretending that they don’t exist or condoning them, but as is seen in the context, you have to love others in spite of their faults and failures. You have to love them and not be judgmental, not turn your back on them just because they do or say stupid things or because they don’t always act the way you want them to....or the way the LORD wants them to.

This won't be a one-time thing...we will have to continue, not cease...."stretching" to do this....no saying...that's it....I'm done with you...no giving up....keeeeeeepppppp at it.

Sounds like Agape love...yep...I looked it up...Agape love...only comes from God. I/we can't do it without Him.

Father, only the Power of Your precence in my life can cause me to love like You. Help me to be earnest in my prayers for myself and for others...especially those who need their sins covered....those who deserve it the least...need it the most. You've given me Your Grace, Your Mercy, and most importantly...Your love..I want to be just like YOU! In Jesus name, Amen.

Blessings on your day!
Sharon

"Supernatural Vision"

2 Corinthians 2:7 "Do you look at things according to the outward appearance?"

When our son was about 2 years old, my husband and I were sitting on the couch watching him play... when Rick turns to me and said, "Do you think we should tell Joshua he's adopted?" I couldn't help but start laughing and said, "Well, I think he's gonna figure it out!" And I looked at Rick and realized, he wasn't kidding. You see...Rick and I are white and our Joshua is Black and Cuban (to me, he looks like an islander).

Our Joshua is about to turn 23 years old and I still love to tell that story...because it's such a picture of Christ....my Rick had "supernatural vision"....he had eyes like Jesus...who sees no color... "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart". 1 Samuel 6:7b

1. SUPERFICIAL VISION
"man looketh on the outward appearance"

2. SUPERNATURAL VISION
"the LORD looketh on the heart"

I can't help but consider how Jesus looked on me...how offensive I must have looked....dead in my sins...living just like the rest of the world, full of sin, rebelling against God and obeying Satan....and yet, that didn't stop my LORD....He looked at me, He reached out to me...actually pursued me...showed me He loved me......offering reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, eternal life.... What grace...What mercy...how humbling....

So thankful for that "Supernatural Vision"!

Blessings on your day!
Sharon