And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP)
Yesterday I was reading John 14-16 in the Passion Translation. Here Jesus comforts his disciples with words about heaven and the Holy Spirit, names himself the True Vine, and warns them about things to come. There was a lot to unpack in these chapters, but I was caught by the words of love:
“Loving me empowers you to obey my commands…Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him….Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place….As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless…If you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done…You must continually let my love nourish your hearts…Love each other deeply, as much as I have loved you.” (John 14:15, 21, 23; John 15:5, 7, 9, 17 TPT)
Obviously, with that many … in the paragraph, I have left out words Jesus spoke. However, I wanted to really focus on the verses about love. In this context Jesus is talking about loving obedience, being loved by Jesus and the Father, living in union with God so we can ask for anything, and loving each other deeply — all of which are good things. But one verse caught my attention: “You must continually let my love nourish your hearts.” (John 15:9 TPT)
Some thoughts:
must – not an option; important to do
continually – ALL the time
let – allow it to happen
love – both from God and from others
nourish – gain refreshment, health, strength, etc.
heart – our inner world, spirit, emotions, etc.
Other translations will say to “remain,” “abide,” “continue,” or “live” in God’s love. There is an expectation that we don’t arrive in God’s love once, but we perpetually seek God’s love and receive from him.
Today, let us be people that come to the arms of the Father, seek grace, mercy, and forgiveness, and then bask in the reality of his love for us. May we people who stay closely connected to the True Vine and the Holy Spirit so that we may obey God’s commands, know his comfort, and love those around us. May we continually let God’s love nourish us and grow us in love for God.
AMEN.