EquipU Online Library

“Charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Having God’s kind of love in our hearts means having the kind of love that makes us willing to miss doing something we want to do and to do something else instead—something someone needs us to do for them. For example, God’s kind of love will make us stay after school with a kid in class who is struggling and patiently help him with his homework, even if it means we will miss going to the ice cream parlor to choose from thirty flavors.

God’s kind of love is always kind to all people from all over the world. God’s sort of kindness would never make negative, mean-spirited, or mocking jokes.

Love does not envy and is not jealous of others. God’s kind of love makes us grateful and happy for all He is making us to be and for everything He provides for us.

Pride gives us a swelled head. Pride makes us arrogant. Pride thinks we are better than others and have better things. Pride makes us boast about ourselves and jeer at others. But God’s kind of love in our hearts stops us from feeling proud, boastful, and jeering.

God’s love is perfect toward us, even though we are not perfect. And He wants all of us to love others with His kind of love.

God wants you to be kind.

My response:

» Is my love sacrificial? Am I willing to give up what I want so others can have what they want or need?

» Am I kind to others, even if they are very different from me?

» If someone makes fun of me, am I kind in return because I have God’s kind of love in my heart?

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

The storm was strong. Thunder shook the house. The electricity had gone out. Strong winds blew on everything. Dark skies had an eerie effect. The cat snuggled under the bed, wide eyed. But just as suddenly as it began, the storm ended. We went outside to see the damage. My first thought was how peaceful it was now that the storm had passed. Clearing skies and calm breezes left a clean smell in the air. The yard was a mess, but everything was washed clear of the dust.

There are times when nothing seems to go right. Things that are out of your control are, well, out of your control. However, God is in control the entire time. Even during the storm, God has it all in His control. When Jesus and the disciples were in a boat and the sea became stormy, Jesus slept. You can’t get any more at peace than that.

What worries you? What scares you? God has you in the palm of His very large hand. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that peace comes as we trust God. Peace and trust are the two sides of the same coin. Turn your thoughts toward God, and peace is the result. In that peace everything is clearer and cleaner. Just like after a storm.

Peace comes as we trust God.

My response:

» What is going on in my life that is like a storm: completely out of my control and scary or dangerous?

» Do I remember that God is in control of this “storm” in my life?

» Do I keep my thoughts on God?

» If not, why not?

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Walk into a supermarket anywhere, and you might see shoppers diligently reading the ingredients on food labels and carefully selecting low-sugar, low-fat, high-fiber products. Americans have been warned to care for their physical hearts by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

The physical heart is the vital source at the center of our being. The spiritual heart, on the other hand, is the innermost part of the mind. Out of it flow the issues of life—joy, sadness, love, hate, and many other emotions, as well as words, thoughts, and actions.

“Keep” in Proverbs 4:23 means to “keep control of and to keep possession of, to look after.” If we don’t “keep” our spiritual hearts, we can have thoughts, words, emotions, and actions that are not pure or helpful to us. We can focus on something so much that it reaches our innermost minds (our hearts), and we find ourselves not sending out good words, good emotions, or good actions. When we take in and listen to God and His Word, we are building a storehouse of good things, which will come out of us.

Philippians 4:7–8 tell us, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

When we daily read some of God’s Word, it wonderfully guards and leads our hearts into the spiritual health of a clean heart and right spirit, as David asked for in Psalm 51:10.

My response:

» Have I learned some of God’s Word today to guard my heart against sin?

» Will I choose to read some of my Bible each day from now on?

“As for God, his way is perfect. . . . It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect” (Psalm 18:30, 32).

When a translation of the Bible uses the word “perfect,” it is not exactly talking about the kind of “perfect” we would normally think of first. In our time, we use the word “perfect” to describe something that has no flaws, no mistakes, no shortcomings, no limits, no sin. But what does “perfect” mean when we see it in the Bible?

When the Bible talks about perfection, it is talking about the absolute completion, or carrying-out, or accomplishment of something. Basically, it means “totally righteous,” “totally whole,” “totally the way things should be.” Have you ever heard someone mention “a perfect circle”? They do not mean “perfect” in the sense that the circle is sinless or never makes mistakes! Of course a circle cannot be “perfect” that way. They mean “perfect” in the sense that a perfect circle would not have wavy lines or gaps. A perfect circle comes all the way around to form a whole, rather than just a part of a circle.

That kind of “perfect” is what King David was singing about in Psalm 18. He was praising God for doing such a full, wonderful job of what David (with all his weaknesses and shortcomings) could never have done on his own. If David had tried to leap over a wall or escape from enemy troops all by himself, he could not have done it. He would have fallen short. But God is the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the Earth. God is perfect, in every sense of the word “perfect.” He never gets weary. He never loses things. He never sins. He has no flaws. And what He chooses to do, He does the best way possible. He brings it to completion. He accomplishes whatever He sets out to do.

King David was rejoicing that God, Whose way of doing things is all perfection, is also a God Who can and will help those who call upon Him. He can and will help us overcome our weaknesses and limits and mistakes. He can and will give us strength to do what it takes to finish a job we have to do. He can and will give us strength to say no to temptations. God can and will help us believe wholly in Him, even when our faith is small. No wonder David was so full of praise! He had a perfect God Who was making him whole.

God is totally perfect in every sense of the word, and He can and will help those who call on Him.

My response:

» Do I rely on myself and my strength rather than asking for God’s help?

» When I am frustrated with my limitations, do I rejoice that God does not have any?

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

What is the largest number you know? A googol (“the figure 1 followed by 100 zeros”)? A googolplex (“a 1 followed by a googol of zeros”)? That is a big number. Bigger than my imagination. Yet no matter what number we come up with, there is always a larger number. Just add one to your large number, and you have a larger number. The same is true if you go the other direction: keep subtracting one, and there is no stopping the negative numbers either. Our number system seems to have no ending point on either end of the number line. That must be why we use arrows on the line.

God, too, has arrows on all ends of Who He is. He has no beginning and no ending. God is eternal. Because He is eternal, His love is eternal. His forgiveness is eternal. His promises are eternal. His mercy is eternal. That is mind blowing! There is no end to the love, mercy, forgiveness, and promises of God. There is no end to any of His attributes.

There is no end to Who God is.

My response:

» Have I made God out to be smaller than He really is?

» Do I think God cannot forgive me or love me?

» Will I talk to God, knowing that He is far bigger than I can ever imagine?