Daily Inspiration

Love Does Not Delight in Evil But Rejoices In the Truth

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.

– 1 Corinthians 13:6 (NIV)

 

True love rejoices in what is right and good. Anything that covers up sin or seeks to justify wrongdoing is the polar opposite of godly love. Love does not try to find ways to get away with bad behavior, and it does not put up with injustice. Instead, it treasures truth, celebrates good behavior, and promotes virtue. True love has nothing to hide.

– Philip Ryken

 

Think about a time that someone reaped a consequence of their own actions and you delighted in knowing that they got what was coming to them. Love, instead, would mourn that the person had made an unwise choice…love would seek to bring the person to righteousness through truth.

– Matthew J. Cochran

 

My beloved friend, I pray that everything is going well for you and that your body is as healthy as your soul is prosperous. I was thrilled when the brothers and sisters came and told me stories of your faithfulness as you continue to walk in the truth. The greatest joy in my life is hearing how my children are walking in the truth.

– 3 John 2-4

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love keeps no record of wrongs…

– 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

 

It is impossible to love somebody and think well of them and at the same time hold the bad things they may have done in the past against them like a register of unpaid debts.

– Richard Savage

 

Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have someone to forgive.

– C.S. Lewis

 

But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

– Matthew 6:15 (NLT)

 

Only when we humble ourselves before God, recognizing what He did for us, can we truly offer that same forgiveness…

– Ken & Pam

 

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

– Colossians 2:13-15 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Love Is Not Easily Angered

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love is not easily angered…

– 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

 

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

– Psalm 103:8 (NLT)

 

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.

– Thomas a Kempis

 

Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

– James 1:20 (NLT)

 

There is nothing that so much gratifies an ill tongue as when it finds an angry heart.

– Thomas Fuller

 

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.

– Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)

 

Anger itself is not wrong. All emotions are created by God – It’s just that sin taints emotions. Sort of like fruit that goes bad. Worry is concern gone bad. Fury is anger gone bad.

– Jennifer Smith

 

Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

– Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Is Not Rude

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Love is not rude…

– 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

 

Rudeness always occurs when selfishness reigns. Being rude means I’m not concerned about others.

– Elizabeth Marks

 

Rudeness is the weak person’s imitation of strength.

– Eric Hoffer

 

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

– James 3:6 (MSG)

 

To exude the nature of Christ in the face of rudeness, insensitivity, or cruelty is a supernatural ability that the Holy Spirit gives, not something we can muster up in our own strength.

– Leslie Ludy

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Love Is Not Proud

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Love is not proud…

– 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 

 

Godly love acts in humility,

but with confidence.

 

This confidence is not in self,

not a prideful confidence,

but a confidence in your position in Christ

and who He created you to be.

 

He created you for this – to Love God, love people, and bring Him glory.

– Susie Stewart

 

A proud man then is a kind of glutton upon himself; for he is never satisfied with loving and admiring himself; whilst nothing else, with him, is worthy either of love or care.

– William Penn

 

In pride we become the objects of our own love; in humility we learn to love others.

– S. Michael Houdmann

 

Pride will create contempt, arguments, misunderstandings, resentment, loss of community, and indifference…We need to seek others first and their well being, not our arrogance and egocentric mentality. Love lifts up God, not us.

– Richard Krejcir

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Does Not Boast

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Love does not boast…

– 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 

Godly love isn’t boastful and arrogant.  It seeks to build up others, not to brag about one’s own accomplishments.  It seeks to make much of God and to bring Him glory.

– Susie Stewart

 

Boasting is the voice of pride in the heart of the strong. Self-pity is the voice of pride in the heart of the weak.

– John Piper

 

Grace puts it’s hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all.

– Charles Spurgeon

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

Love Does Not Envy

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Love does not envy…

– 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 

Envying someone else’s life doesn’t make your life better like actually enjoying your own does.

– Ann Voskamp

 

It is a very human trait in us to feel that another’s advancement is in some way a blow to ourselves. It is equally a human trait to feel that another’s downfall and disgrace in some way adds a bit of luster to our own crowns. Of course, nothing could be more utterly false.

-Clovis G. Chappell

 

In some dispositions there is such an envious kind of pride that they cannot endure that any but themselves should be set forth for excellent; so that when they hear one justly praised, they will either seek to dismount his virtues, or, if they be like a clear light, they will stab him with a “but” of detraction.

-Owen Felltham

 

The cure for the sin of envy and jealousy is to find our contentment in God.

-Jerry Bridges

 

Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.

– James 3:16 (CEV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Is Kind

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Love is kind…

– 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 

I shall pass this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

– Henry Drummond

 

God, You are all-powerful, yet You are humble of heart and kind – something that will always, always amaze me and continually cause me to be grateful that I am a recipient of Your Divine love and relationship.

– Susie Stewart

 

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

– Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

 

I choose kindness…I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated them.

– Max Lucado

 

Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.

– Frederick W. Faber

 

The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay upon the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe that He loves you.

– John Owen

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love is Patient

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love is patient…

– 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

 

It seems that when I write about a certain subject, it is that very day that I am tested in that very area of my Christian walk.  I fail miserably at times, and walk in my God-given freedom from sin at others.

Sanctification, the process of growing to be more like Jesus, is an ever upward thing in which I press on, and He is at work.  There are unfortunate moments when I am not reflecting Him, and it is those moments when I am exceedingly grateful for my patient Heavenly Father, and that He is refining His children through their ups and downs.

God is love.  And love is patient.  Today is a new day.  And with forgiveness, that new day may start right in the middle of your day.

– Susie Stewart

 

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
– Helen Keller

 

The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on The Lord.
– Joni Eareckson Tada

 

Wait on God and He will work, but don’t wait in spiritual sulks because you cannot see an inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our spiritual hysterics to wait on God? To wait is not to sit with folded hands, but to learn to do what we are told.
– Oswald Chambers

 

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

– Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

 

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

– Lamentations 3:22,23 (NLT)

 

Photo taken by Susie Stewart

 

Goodness

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

 

God promises to work ALL things for the GOOD

 

for those of us who love Him

and have been called by Him

 

He takes our mistakes

our heartache

our everything

 

and brings purpose and good

 

Beauty from ashes

from all that happens in our lives

 

No exceptions

because of unconditional love

 

How unimaginably gracious!

 

 

So, what if you and I sought to do that

for people?

 

What if we were to respond with grace

when wronged,

bringing the good

to that situation?

 

And what if we loved

when it makes more sense

to hate?

 

And what if we took awful circumstances,

and inserted compassion

and truth

instead of criticism?

 

What if we responded with patience

when it isn’t warranted?

 

What if we sought,

by God’s Spirit,

the good

in everything?

 

What if we showed His goodness,

by His power,

with His Light,

in the darkness?

– Susie Stewart

 

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

– Romans 8:28 (NIV)

 

…we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

– Romans 8:28 (MSG)

 

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

– 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP)

 

To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oak that the Lord has planted for His own glory.

– Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)

 

Photo taken by Susie Stewart