Nothing lasts forever. I’ve heard people say this many times about many different things: relationships, jobs, good times, bad times, you name it. And while it’s true that everything in this world seems to have a definite shelf life, the Bible talks of one thing that is forever: love.
Maybe you thought I was going to say God. God is forever, right? It’s a trick question because God is love. So the answer is both God and love. God (aka love) is, was, and always will be. He is eternal.
So why all this talk of eternity? Today’s verse doesn’t look apocalyptic at first glance, but it actually is. Very much so.
Just a few verses before today’s verse Paul says, “Love never ends.” (v. 8) He also says in verse 10 “when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.” Today’s verse answers the question of what is perfect and what is partial. Faith, hope, and love remain. They are the only perfect things. Everything else, even if it seems good, isn’t good enough to withstand God’s cleansing fire. My savings account will end, my job, my car, my marriage, my existence as I know it will end. This world will end and everything in it. Wars, celebrations, countries, inventions, sunrises, civilizations, and caterpillars will all end.
Paul says even knowledge will come to an end. Everything I think I know now will be useless when God cleans house and all things are made new with His love.
Why does he end by saying love is the greatest? Faith, hope, and love may be perfect, but only love is eternal. When God recreates the world, what need will I have of faith or hope? God plans to be right there, visible, in our very midst. I won’t need faith because I can just reach out and touch Him when I need assurance of His loving presence. And I won’t need hope for the same reason. My hopes will have been fulfilled. You don’t hope for a new car when you are already driving it off the lot. You don’t hope for healing after the doctor gives you a clean bill of health.
Love is the greatest because it is perfect, and it is eternal. It is God.
Dear God,
Thank you for the reminder of who you are and what matters in the end. Help me to readjust my perspective on my life. My struggles and striving are temporary. Your goals and plans for me supersede my own. Forgive me when I lose sight of the value of love and prioritize less worthy or lasting pursuits.
CamDevo 