Theme: THE LOVE OF GOD
Text: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:1, 2.
Comment: The love of God requires patience on the part of the believer. David enjoins us to wait on the Lord, (Psalm 27:13,14), while our Saviour says that “In your patience possess ye your souls”. (Luke 21:19) Apostle Paul exhorts us in today’s text to exercise patience or longsuffering in our relationship with God and with our fellow men. Abraham and Sarah had to wait until they were 100 years and 90 years respectively before the promise of a male child was fulfilled. (Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 11:11,12) St. Paul said Abraham “against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations”; that “not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”. (Romans 4:18-21) St. Paul, in listing the sterling qualities of love or charity stated: “Charity dwelleth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth…” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.