Daily Devotions
March 12th, 2020 by Pastor Solley1 Cor 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
KJV
The last verse in chapter twelve leads into the first verse of chapter 13. (1 Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.) We are commanded to covet the best spiritual gifts and then we are given a picture of charity or love. Did you know that the words covet, coveted, and covetousness are found a combined thirty times in the Bible and twenty eight of those times it is in a negative way? We as believers are told over and over not to covet. It was told in the Ten Commandments that man is not to covet, it is repeated throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament as well. But two places, 1 Cor 12:31 and 1 Cor 14:39 we as believers are told to covet something and that something is spiritual gifts. The first and most important is charity as we see it in 1 Cor 13 which is called the love chapter. To covet something is to desire, long after, seek something we do not have. Why love? Because humanly it is impossible to love in the way one needs to in order to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember to look at 1 Cor 13 in the light of service for the Lord. This is not about loving you spouse or fellow man, it is about loving Christ so deeply that we can overcome all the struggles of life and service and just continue on for Jesus. If you take time to read 1 Cor 13 today read it in light of our service for the Lord.