DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: SEPTEMBER 3 ONE WHOM GOD RECOGNISES (2) SCRIPTURE: 1 CORITHIANS 8: 1 – 3; 13: 8; REVELATION 2: 2 – 4
Yesterday devotional touched a hidden issue that Christians have the full knowledge of but not fully understand how God takes it serious. Every human being claims knowing what LOVE is all about, but hardly knows how ability to practice LOVE faithfully makes one to be recognized by God. Knowing what LOVE is has never be a problem but acting it exactly how it should be acted has been a major problem to mankind. We all claim knowing what is love, but we must admit that we all partially know what LOVE is as God knows it. Loving God exactly how God sees Love as well as loving people as God actually intended has been a serious issue with human beings. Apostle Paul saw that the easiest way God will recognizes someone is when that person loves God, and also loves fellow mankind (1 Cor. 8: 1 – 3). The word “recognize” has so many definitions in Dictionaries. That which appeals to this devotional is “to perceive and show acceptance of validity or reality.” For God to show acceptance of our validity and reality of being His own, we must love HIM in full and love His people.
The Beloved, it is not too hard to think we have done all to make God accept our validity and reality for His chosen one. Our activities in churches, attendance to church activities, fasting for six months in a year and other doctrinal fulfillments might not make God recognize us as worthy of being His children. We cannot be recognized by how we put our gifts and anointing to work, but the genuineness of how we love Him. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13: 8 that “…prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever” (Africa Study Bible). What prompted Apostle Paul to say this is how the so called good Christians in Corinth hate those who were identified as going to eat foods offered to idols. They were not treated with love at heart by the “supper Christians” as supposed.
It will be too bad if all Christians behaving too righteously, holy like angels and judging selves haven chosen by God but discover they are not even recognized by God. God desires that human beings love Him above anything else as well as loving fellow being equally. Jesus said it that the greatest commandment is loving God with all our hearts and minds, and loving our neighbours as we will love ourselves. We can see how God values LOVE by the letter Jesus wrote to the Christians in Ephesus. They were given pass marks for hardworking, patience and endurance in suffering for Christ. They scored pass mark for not tolerating evil people. But they failed in working in their first love for God and fellow brethren (Rev. 2: 2 – 4). The beloved, should we want God to recognizes us, we must then change the ways we handle loving God and fellow mankind.
PRAYER:
LOVNG FATHER, your word has told me the most secrete about how you value LOVE. Cause me and other fellow Christians to start practicing the kind of LOVE that will make you to recognize us as your children in the name of Jesus Christ.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch
