Sunday's Specialty

1 Peter 1:22

 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Good morning, one and all!

Here in southern Louisiana, the prayer is for SUNSHINE! There has been so much rain over the past few days, and extensive flooding in many areas around us. So far, we are still on slightly higher ground, and we're grateful. But, others have not fared as well, and have suffered the loss of many things.

My thought today is simply about loving one another. The Apostle Peter wrote about "unfeigned love of the brethren", which means love that is sincere and genuine. Our love for one another should be real love, and as the apostle wrote further, "love one another with a pure heart fervently." One definition of fervently is "showing great warmth". That's the kind of love we need - genuine and warm!!

Sometimes it seems easier to be cold or distant to one another, and hurts seem to come from many directions. Only by denying ourselves daily, and bringing our flesh under subjection to the Spirit can we maintain a loving attitude. When we pray, we get close to the One who is LOVE personified. When we stay close to Jesus, we become like Him. We cannot know love without knowing Jesus.

This sweet song is on my mind right now, and I want it to be my lifelong desire:

I Could Never Outlove the Lord

by Bill & Gloria Gaither

Verse One

There've been times when living and loving brought pain

And I promised I would never let it happen again

But I found out that loving is well worth the risk

And that even in losing you win

Chorus

I'm going to live the way He wants me to live

I'm going to give until there's just no more to give

I'm going to love, love 'til there's just no more love

I could never, ever outlove the Lord

Verse Two

He showed us that only through dying we live

And He gave when it seemed there was nothing to give

He loved when loving brought heartache and loss

He forgave from an old rugged cross

When we find ourselves in a place where loving costs us, all we have to do is remember Jesus and Calvary. He who knew no sin bore all our sins on that old rugged cross. When they spit on Him and beat Him, He loved. When they pierced Him and blood and water flowed out of Him, it carried His love. We will never know a hurt that Jesus hasn't already known!

God bless you all with a Sweet, Sunny Sunday! Give out His love to everybody you meet... it's like a boomerang.... it will come back to you!

Hope to see you tomorrow for another spoonful!