Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
November 13, 2022: SOAP #4727: Job 39, 40; 1Corinthians 13, 14

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

OBSERVATION:  Chapter 12 ends with Love being greater than faith and hope. In the first verses of chapter 12, love is greater than the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is greater than personal sacrifice. It is greater than knowledge. Love encompasses the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Love is our motivation for service.  Love makes us “eagerly desire” to serve others.  The emphasis in Chapter 13 is on using the spiritual gifts God gives us to serve others. 

APPLICATION: Loving God means that I want to serve Him and serve others to the best of my ability.  But in serving Him, I soon come to realize that I am not capable in myself.  I need the Holy Spirit living inside to motivate me and minister through me.  He takes my efforts and enhances them to be greater than they are by themselves. 

Personally, as I am faithful to read the scriptures assigned in the daily reading plan I use, I find the Holy Spirit is reading along with me.  He draws my attention to a word, a phrase, a verse, or a passage.  Suddenly my mind has a new thought, something fresh.  The thought blesses me, and God uses them to bless others.  My personal efforts in writing the SOAPs are enhanced by the ministry of the Holy Spirit! 

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, thank you for using me, taking my small lunch of five loaves and two fishes (John 6:9), multiplying them, and feeding thousands who read the SOAPs. Amen

Pastor Leon
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