Love Hopes

Sunday, ‎October ‎2, ‎2022

Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Memory verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Today's reading: ISAIAH 14-16 EPHESIANS 5:1-16

Love Hopes

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Let's keep in mind this passage from 1 Corinthians 13 as we look at this:

Proverbs 29:13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

The 'oppressor' can be seen today in many forms. We define it as someone who attempts to lift themselves above others to lord it over them-to keep a foot on someone's neck. We see it and hear it everyday.

The poor does not mean just the people who have nothing, the poor can be anyone who is under unfair control by an organized power.

This is easy to see in other countries, but what about in our own? There are plenty who play the victim in our country. These are not the poor of whom we speak. We speak of those who are victimized and their cries are not heard or they are too afraid to speak out or, worse, cannot.

This sounds hopeless but it is not.

First, love endures all things. If I have felt hopeless, the one thing that I always knew was that God loves me. As hard as it might be to 'feel' at the time, God loves me/us.

And love hopes in all things. Love keeps hope alive in all things. In the middle of the greatest oppression, the Lord brings light and love lights hope.

What about the oppressor? The scripture says that the Lord brings light to their eyes, also. Light for what? Light to see the truth. Light that exposes their sin. We must believe that there is hope for the wicked oppressor to see the hope in God's love. A light that brings the weight of guilt and conviction could end in repentance and redemption.

Let us pray for a vision of redemption in the eyes of the oppressor-let us pray they see God's hope-filled-love in our lives.

Let us pray to respond to wickedness with humility before God and not fury before man.

Love hopes.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me my sin in anger against the wickedness in high places.

Teach me to walk humbly before You and mankind and always hope for redemption for the lost.

God of mercy and redemptive grace!

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen