Leap Day Love

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Scripture

1Cor. 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1Cor. 13:13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Observation

It's leap day today and the normal software I use for my daily devotions had nothing to read today.  Somehow no one had programmed in the fact that every four years we find ourselves with a leap day.   I went back to a portion of yesterday's reading found in 1 Corinthians 13.  Paul was talking about the very most important thing for Christians to understand.  That is, the very nature of God.  The very nature of God is not completely comprehensible for us yet, but someday it will be.  So, on this leap day, let's be reminded about what is the most important concept for us to understand.  Living the Christian life is not about things that we are able to do -- preach, prophesy, speak in tongues or other languages, but rather, to comprehend the very nature of God, himself.  God is love.  We all remember memorizing that little bit of scripture, but we don't really know all that it means for us. 

Paul says that while we live here on this earth we only see God dimly, as if through a mirror.  That is, we are unable at this time to see him face to face.  We are able to participate in God, but from a distance.  We are able to experience his nature -- his holy love, but only from a distance.  However, later Peter tells us that we are invited to become "partakers of the divine nature."  We WILL see face to face, we will comprehend in a way we have never thought imaginable and it will finally dawn on us that the things of this world, and even the spiritual gifts are nothing compared to the incredible nature of holy love which God wants to pour out on all of us.

Now, faith, hope and love remain -- not the spiritual gifts!  But the greatest is love.  Why?  Because love represents knowing God, himself, on an incredibly intimate level. 

Application

I'm not sure that we, as Christians, truly comprehend the calling which we have.  It is not to be soul winners, or intercessors, or church planters, or missionaries, but rather, our calling is to get to know God, and to get to know God, is to fall deeply in love with him.  While we may yet see dimly, we are to seek his face on a daily basis.  God's nature is love and he is deeply in love with you and me.  Right in the middle of the Bible we find the "Song of Songs."  Often it's a chapter we want to avoid, and yet, if we read it within the context of Christ being the bridegroom and all followers of Christ being the object of that love, we will begin to understand the potential depth to be found in our relationship with God.  We are so in love with him that we desire nothing more than to seek him on a daily basis.

Everything else in life, even the good things, are nothing compared to falling in love with him.  Paul had come to a point in his life where he understood this.  The church in Corinth was arguing about so many different things and Paul wanted them to simply understand that love -- God's holy love -- was at the very core of our relationship with him and with others. 

Yes, faith, hope and love remain -- but there is nothing to compare to love.  So, on this leap day -- let's take a leap of faith and allow ourselves to fall deeply in love with Jesus Christ

Prayer

Thank you for your incredible love and help me to continue to grow in that love every single day.  Amen.

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