I have already shared a bit about what the Lord has already taught me in this week's study in a previous post. If you would like to look back at what I guess you could call part 1 just look back at the Valentine's Day post.
As I finished up this week the Lord has really had my mind on how much I love the Lord. I know that some of you may not completely understand all of this but it is amazing the things that I feel and am able to feel because of my relationship with Him.
He is my best friend, the one I can count on no matter what and when He chooses to come back then as with many of you He will be my bridegroom. I struggle with singleness trust me but thankfully I know that one day when the Lord comes back I will be a part of a huge marriage feast with Christ just like all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. With each step I take with Him the more intimate my relationship is with Him, the more I need and want to spend time with Him, and the more I realize His love for me.
In the Greek there are multiple words for love and the one that I would like to share with you is "agapao" and it means "1: to regard with strong affection; 2: as referring to superiors and including the idea of duty, respect, veneration, meaning to love and serve with fidelity; 3: to regard with favour, goodwill, benevolence; 4: to delight in"
In John 21:15-23 this is the love that the Lord was asking for from Peter. In this section of scripture there is actually 2 words for love given the one that the Lord asked if Peter had "agapao" and the one Peter said he had for the Lord "phileo" and the love that Peter had was one that was more closely related to as a love we have in friendship. The Lord doesn't just desire just a friendship with us He desires us and a love that goes much farther than the surface. Something that was interesting about the 2nd part of the definition is that it was a deep love explained also like this "used substantively of those loving the Lord, meaning faithful disciples or followers of the Lord." This is the love that the Lord desires us to have and that He desires us to feed His sheep with.
Beth Moore asked 5 questions for me to answer in regards to agapao love and I would like to share them with you. She asked them to help us see if we loved with agapao love or with phileo love. With each question we were to answer often, sometimes, rarely. She asked us not to discourage us but to encourage us with our walks with the Lord. I saw areas that needed improving in my own walk with Him and areas that I was very close to Him. I wouldn't say that I am 100% there but I am getting there I believe and it isn't because of me but because of what He is doing in me:
1. Does He regularly circulate into my thoughts? (Psalm 63:6)
2. Am I often drawn to spend time with Him?
3. Does my life demonstrate a love for God? (Romans 5:8)
4. Do I often enjoy God? (Psalm 16:11)
5. Do I find relief or satisfaction in the obedient life? (Psalm 51:8; John 14:21)
Some of you may be wondering why the word often is in the 4th question and she explained that she put it in there because sometimes when He is dealing with us, teaching us, working in us, etc... it isn't always enjoyable. It doesn't mean it isn't good it just isn't always an enjoying time to be corrected.
It isn't always easy to walk out this love. There is a young lady currently that I haven't quite understood why but the Lord has given me a love for her to reach out to her, encourage her, help her through a stronghold she is facing, and yet she has been probably one of the most hurtful people in my life. I have often prayed that the Lord would help me to love like Him and I think this is Him working in me trying to teach me how to love even when it isn't the easiest and when love isn't returned.
I just know that when it was the hardest to love me was when I struggled with a couple of strongholds. It was because of the love of a couple of people in my life who were willing to love me even when I tried so hard to push them away yet they stuck around and loved me even though it would have been so much easier to give up on me and walk away. They have taught me what agapao love is and the have taught me another kind of love which is agape (agapao is derived from this love it is a love of "affection, benevolence; charity, dear"). A familiar passage agape love is described in is 1 Corinthians 13. My prayer is that the Lord will help me to love like Him even though it isn't always easy. Not only with this young lady but with everyone I come into contact with.
May the Lord bless each of you as you serve and love Him!
17 hours ago
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