Sunday, February 14, 2010

Provoked to Love


Today is Valentine's Day and "love" is in the air. This morning as I read my personal devotions I studied the scriptures that spoke of love. There were many! so much truth and wisdom and admonition concerning love!

I recently began to learn to knit and crochet. I am fascinated by the weaving of the fibers into patterns. It is a work of art and results in an object of beauty. So, when I read Colossians 2:2, I couldn't help but smile.

My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself.


As soon as I read this my heart quickened and I said, "Yes, Lord!" This is what I want for my children, the people I love, and the people I encounter as I journey through life. Encouraged! Knit together with love! Complete understanding of God's secret plan with is Christ! What a goal! What a purpose for love!

As if that weren't enough of a blessing, I read further and found more treasures. In Hebrews 10: 23&24

Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.


That is how the New Living Translation reads. The King James Version says ...

Hbr 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:


The New International Version....


And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.


Stir up! Stimulate! Excite! Spur! Outburts! PROVOKE!! Provoke to love!!

Now, my smiles were being seasoned with tears. I sat for a few moments understanding that all of my life has been a wonderful knitting together of love and because of the love that surrounded me, I had been PROVOKED to love! It was no great thing I had done, no special quality of my own, instead it was because I had been provoked to love that has found me here in this place of tremendous love!