Priority of faith, hope and love
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· 12 viewsPutting God first--living according to his word
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But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Putting God first--living according to his word--serves the glory of God and also the best interests of believers, by giving them true wisdom for daily living.
We have to have the wisdom of making faith a priority
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
We have to put the fear of God before other considerations
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Preferring God’s way to sinful advice
Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
There is great wisdom of obeying God:
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
“And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
Examples of failure to do this:
“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
Patient waiting rather than impulsive action
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
There is wisdom in making hope a priority
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
There is great wisdom in making love a priority
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Following the Spirit rather than sinful human nature
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
or in human might.
No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
In conclusion:
Make your life Actions rather than simple words
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.