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1 Corinthians 13:13 says that the greatest of these is love.
Buy why is love the greatest? Here are a few answers from Scripture.
Love prompted God to send His Son (John 3:16).
Love is the foundation of our priorities (Matt. 22:34-40).
Love sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:40).
Love conquers fear (1 John 4:18).
Love forms an unbreakable bond with God (Romans 8:35-39).
Love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
Love inspires obedience (John 14:15-24, 15:10).
Love works things together for good, reminding us that God is in control (Romans 8:28).
Love takes wise action with others (Romans 12:9-21).
Love makes things worthwhile (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Do you know anything else that can do all that?
Only God, himself. But since God is love (1 John 4:8), that must be part of why love is the greatest.
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The Israelites were a rebellious nation. They served other gods and followed a path of adulterous unfaithfulness.
In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks to His people through the prophet Jeremiah to remind them that He has not forgotten them. And in chapter 29, Jeremiah pens a letter to the people who had been taken in exile to Babylon. In the midst of this historical context, we see God’s often-quoted promise to give us hope and a future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
While the time in Babylonian captivity was partially designed as discipline for Israel’s infidelity, it also served as an opportunity to share with other nations more directly about who God was and invite them into relationship with Him, the sovereign Lord.
Remember Daniel and his friends? What a testimony they gave to the Babylonian and Medo-Persian nations. God has plans to give us hope and a future. It just may not look like we would want it to at the time.
Ultimately, God is in control. Whether the things that happen in our lives are a consequence of our actions, a form of disciple, the product of our decisions, or the design of God, the most important thing to remember is that God has a plan—a plan to give us hope and a future.
God’s plan is divine, infinite, supreme, and the ultimate source of hope for a redeemed future.