Whispers of His Power – JUNE 29

John 15.13:  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 3.16-18 (RV):  Hereby know we love, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.   But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him? … Let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but-in deed and truth.

These verses are often quoted as referring to a death for others, but the first thought in our Lord’s mind must have been of a life laid down in loving service.  The life that does not shut up its compassion but loves in deed – in the doing of real things – this is first of all the life laid down.

The inspiration for that life is not only Calvary but all the years before.  Our Lord’s patience throughout those years, going on loving in spite of disappointments and ungrateful-ness, how that challenges us who find disappointment and ingratitude so trying.  Think of the courage that could trust heavenly matters to those poor human hands.  Even His nearest and dearest wrangled about who should be greatest during His very last meal with them.  And yet His love could overlook everything and say of such followers, They have kept Thy word (John 17.6).  He knew, as only Love can know, that in spite of all failures that was their heart’s desire.  And so He spoke of them at their highest, not their lowest.

Lord, evermore give us this love, that we may lay down our lives for the brethren.

oooOOOooo

These words are from ’Whispers of His Power’ a collection of writings that Amy Carmichael wrote for her ‘children’ and others associated with the Dohnavur Fellowship. and are Copyright © The Dohnavur Fellowship 1982

Unless otherwise stated, biblical quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.

The following abbreviations are used to refer to other versions and sources:

BCP:               Book of Common Prayer, the Great Bible of Coverdale

Conybeare:       W. J. Conybeare, The Epistles of Paul (a translation)

Delitzsch:        F. Delitzsch, Notes on Job and the Psalms

Kay:                W. Kay, The Psalms (a translation)

LXX:              The Septuagint

Moffatt:           J. Moffatt, The New Testament: a new translation

Rotherham:      J. B. Rotherham, The Emphasized Bible Revised Version

RV:                 Revised Version

Way:              A. Way, The Letters of St Paul (a translation)

Westcott:         F. Westcott, Notes on the Gospel of St John

Weymouth:      R. F. Weymouth, The New Testament in Modern Speech

Young:            R. Young, A Literal Translation of the Bible

Verses of poetry without quotation marks were written by Amy Carmichael.