The Great Gift Exchange

"Love… hopes all things…but now abide faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love"

1 Corinthians 13:7,13.

1 Corinthians 13 is often referred to as the “Love Chapter” and it ends with a reminder about God’s best gifts that keep on giving. Exchanging gifts didn’t originate with man but with God. God loves to exchange gifts with His children and our bible makes clear we can never out give God. Each and every time we give our faith to God, God gives the gift of hope to His children.

The apostle Paul writes that faith, hope and love are the greatest virtues and since he was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the order of those virtues is of extreme importance to us. Why you may ask? For the simple fact that the writer of Hebrews tells us, “without Fatih it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

If we are reading 1 Corinthians 13:13 correctly in the context in which the apostle Paul presents it, faith is what we offer to God and hope is what God gives to us in return which results in love. The foundation of love is hope and of hope is faith. All three are gifts of God that He offers to us to share with Him and others. Yet it’s the order that we cant overlook.

Hope has to have a basis or it really isn’t hope at all but rather a dream. Hope is God’s gift for faith and love is the result of faith and hope combined. Do you need hope today, are you feeling hopeless about the times we live in? Put your faith (trust) in God. Each time we put our trust in Jesus, every time we exercise our faith in God by walking in His Word, God infuses us with fresh hope that results in love. Hope then is not something we have to well up but rather hope is the gift God gives to us in return for our placing our faith and trust in Him. Faith, hope and love are God’s greatest gifts and not just at Christmas time but all throughout the year!

 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18

I LOVE YOU!



Michael Osthimer

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