The Greatest of These...

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV).

Love. Has there ever been a more overused word—or a more needed response to life? We proclaim our love for everything from ice cream to our spouse, but seldom think of the power behind that word.
Why does 1 Corinthians tell us that love is greater than faith or hope? Because once we leave this earth and dwell in the presence of God, faith and hope will no longer be necessary. We will at last be able to see the One who was the object of our faith and hope throughout our earthly sojourn, so faith and hope will have been fully and completely realized when we step into eternity. We will no longer have to have faith in or hope for that which we cannot see, for we will be in His presence.
Love, however, endures forever because God Himself is love. The purest and deepest form of love can only be found in God. True, there is a love based in emotion that we experience in our everyday lives, but selfless love can be found nowhere but in the Person of the One whom the Scriptures declare IS love. And that, beloved, is where those of us who have been born into God’s family will spend forever.
Amazing grace indeed! Now, today, abide faith, hope, and love. But when faith and hope have been fulfilled, God’s love will continue on. That’s why we call it heaven!