Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
The Greatest of These Is Love: Love the Unlovely
Today’s Audio Devotion:
The Greatest of These Is Love: Love the Unlovely
Do you know a “difficult” person? Perhaps in your family, church, or workplace. Do they get on your nerves? There were difficult people in the Bible too. Take Nabal, for example. He was “surly and mean in his dealings” (1 Samuel 25:3, NIV). Even his wife, Abigail, called him a “wicked man” and said, “He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him” (1 Samuel 25:25, NIV). Yet Abigail persuaded David to be forbearing, and the Lord took care of Nabal at the right time.
It is extremely hard to love “Nabals,” but God can give you a patient, forbearing spirit. Dale Carnegie said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”1 When we meet Christ, we experience His love for us—the unlovely. And we can ask for that same love to flow through us.
Why not take a moment now to pray for that difficult person in your life?
Not everyone is your brother or sister in the faith, but everyone is your neighbor, and you must love your neighbor.
Timothy Keller
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Some 2,600 years ago, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream. In this dream, the king saw a five–part statue made of five different metals (see Daniel 2). Each section represented an empire, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Four of these empires have already risen and fallen in history—a clear fulfillment of Daniel's prophetic interpretation. The fifth and final empire indicates a future Europe—a ten nation coalition that will unite under the Antichrist's rule.
You can read about the King's dream and Daniel's interpretation in Daniel 2, but let's take a quick visual look at what you will find:
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King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
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Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
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Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
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Roman Empire
When the Grecian empire was conquered by Rome, all the lands and peoples of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into the Roman Empire through the strengths of the "iron legions of Rome" (Daniel 2:40).
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Future European Coalition
This empire has not yet risen. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire—Europe—will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. The future Roman Empire will be present on the earth when God sets up His earthly kingdom (Daniel 2:44).