John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” –
DAILY READING• Mark 2; 2 Samuel 4-5; Daniel 2:24-49
On February 3, 1943, Four U.S Chaplains carried out an amazing act of heroism that saved many lives, even at the peril of their own lives.
During World War 2, an American ship, carrying about 920 soldiers and civilians across the Atlantic Ocean, was hit by a German torpedo. The massive explosion caused the ship to begin sinking rapidly.
While some of the men had been killed instantly, the survivors sought desperately for an escape from the sinking ship.
Amidst the chaos, four chaplains on board the ship, worked frantically to help the men make it to safety. They guided the frightened men to lifeboats, while speaking God’s words of encouragement to the wounded and dying.
It would take the ship less than thirty minutes to sink, yet within that little window of time, these four Chaplains succeeded in getting as many men as possible into lifeboats.
Working against time, the Chaplains passed out life vests from the lockers to the men.
When all the life jackets were gone, and yet many men had not received, all four Chaplains took off their own life jackets and put them on the men around them. Together they sacrificed their last shred of hope for survival, to ensure the survival of others.
Having helped as many people as they could, as the ship finally began to sink under the frigid ocean, the four chaplains linked their arms together and lifted up their voices in prayer. They sang hymns and prayed “Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…”
And with those last words, the four men went into eternity.
As a result of their heroism, the four chaplains have been posthumously awarded many Honors by the US government. In 1988, the US Congress established February 3rd as the ‘Four Chaplains Day’ in America. This day is observed with official proclamations and, sometimes, flags flying at half-mast.
John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus willingly laid down His life at the Cross to save humanity from drowning in the sea of sin and death.
Jesus was the ultimate expression of love.
He loved us so much that He laid down His life by dying in our place so that we could live.
Today, we are to follow the example of love Jesus set for us by laying down our lives for each other through always putting others before us.
1 John 3:16-20 [NIV] says ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.’
Severally in the Scriptures, Jesus emphasized the need for believers to love each other fervently.
Especially in this end-time, we need the power of love to be strongly at work in our lives. This is important because love is the foundation of God’s kingdom upon which all other laws hang. No matter what you do in God’s kingdom, if the love is not involved, it is all in vain.
I Corinthians 13:3 says even if you give all your possessions to feed the poor, and if you surrender your body to be burned, but do not have love, it does not profit you at all.
In God’s kingdom nothing counts without love. You can’t go anywhere spiritually or in your relationships until you get your love walk right!
Not walking in love is one of the hidden traps the enemy often uses to hinder the progress of many believers. Not walking in love can stop prayers from being answered and cause stagnancy is certain areas of a believer’s life.
Living a life ruled by the love of God is what opens us up to live in the highest measure of the blessing and power of God!
We are in the days of fierce spiritual battle against the forces of wickedness and love is our defense against the wiles of the enemy. When we dwell in love, we dwell in God and we thus become inaccessible to the arrows of the wicked.
Indeed love is non-optional for any believer who will walk in victory in these end-times.
Let us therefore daily plead the Blood of Jesus against anything that will try to hinder our love walk.
Love is the nature of God; the closer we walk with God, the more of His nature we manifest. Today, let us receive the grace to walk in love by maintaining a close relationship with God through fervent prayers, intimate fellowship and diligent study of the Word.
Indeed through the Blood of Jesus, we receive the power to follow Christ’s example of love in all that we do.
PRAYER: Lord, please grant me a deeper revelation of the power of Your love. Through the Blood of Jesus, I receive the grace to fervently love others and always walk in line with Your Word at all times in Jesus Name.
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When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.