Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 8; 1 Kings 22; Amos 6
In February 2010 the National Geographic magazine featured a story about a 3,000-year-old defensive wall possibly built by King Solomon which was unearthed in Jerusalem. According to the Israeli archaeologist who led the excavation, the discovery appears to validate a Bible passage, in First Book of Kings which says Solomon, king of Israel, built a defensive wall in Jerusalem. The new discovery is the first archaeological evidence of this structure.
Indeed King Solomon built many structures during his reign, however the crowning achievement of his reign was the erection of the magnificent Temple in the capital city of ancient Israel – Jerusalem. King’s Solomon’s temple is undoubtedly the most expensive building in human history! Its total cost is well over half a billion dollars! This is an unimaginable cost for one house, but that’s what the value comes to when you include a total of over 108,002.5 talents of gold, 1,017,000 talents of silver, and greater quantities of bronze. This cost may appear crazy to people in modern times; But if it appears extravagant, it is reflection of king David’s love for God in that he extravagantly prepared materials, over and above, intent on building a magnificent temple for God. [1 Chronicles 29:3].
David served God from a standpoint of love. No wonder God called him a man after His own heart. He loved God deeply and ended up a trans-generational celebrity, immortalized by God in history.
God takes the issue of love seriously. No matter what you do for God, if it is not done because of your love for Him, it has no value to God.
1 Corinthians 13;1-4 says ‘If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.’
If you do not love God, whatever you do for His kingdom, does not count. God is looking for those who love Him. And for those who love God, the bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 ‘But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him;’
Now, love for God is not lip service. Songs of Solomon states that love is as strong as death. When we love God we must be willing to lay down our lives for Him. When we love God we must be willing to pay the price of following Him at all costs. Nothing should be able to separate us from the love of God.
Christ proved His love for us by giving up His heavenly status and coming to the earth as a man to die on the cross for our sins. And today we must prove our love for Him by forsaking sin, taking up our cross and following Him in righteousness.
We cannot say we love God and yet be unwilling to pay the price to follow His laws and His ways. Jesus said in John 14 ’he that keeps my commandment, he it is that loves Me.’ and ’if a man say he loves Me and keeps not my commandment he does not love Me’.
Our love for God is manifested in our obedience to His Word. To serve God, we must seek to know Him in His Word.
Through studying His word, we come to know His deeds, His nature and character. It is through study of the scriptures that The Holy Ghost begins to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts. And when you know the greatness of God, His awesomeness, His great and mighty acts, worship naturally emanates from your heart.
God is looking for worshippers in spirit and in truth. True praise is not just singing popular gospel songs while your mind is on other things. No, true praise is concentration on God, and all His goodness and mercies and faithfulness.
Indeed God is good. And He is worthy of all our worship and adoration. Love can be defined as a God-first lifestyle: This simply means, God having the first place in all our considerations. The “God-first lifestyle” is loving God with all your heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-40). And when you truly love God, then God will turn you into a wonder to your world. Indeed you will become a man and a woman to be wondered at.
PRAYER: Lord please grant me the grace to love you by the revelation of The Spirit so that my service in your kingdom can be acceptable. .
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It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]