Day 39: During Deployment “Love Endures”

Love never fails. — 1 Corinthians 13:8

We have all known couples who have endured through all of the trials that life could send their way. We have also known couples who have crumbled at the first sign of trouble. What is the difference? Love.

Love never fails. Love never fails because Jesus’ love never fails. And we want to love like Jesus loves. The apostle Peter told Jesus that he would never deny his Lord, but He did three times. Jesus kept loving Peter—just as He keeps loving you, no matter what. Your spouse may choose to forsake you and walk away, but that will not be your choice. “If love can be told to quit loving, then it’s not really love. Love that is from God is unending, unstoppable. If the object of its affection doesn’t choose to receive it, love keeps giving anyway. . . . But if your marriage fails, if your spouse walks away, let it not be because you gave up or stopped loving them.” (p. 191-192) Because love never fails.

Love never fails. Love never fails because the first evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, and the Holy Spirit is unchanging. Since the Holy Spirit is unchanging, then the demonstration of love is unchanging. “It is based on the will of God, the calling of God, and the Word of God—all unchanging things.” (p. 192) If the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart as a believer of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then your love is supernatural and will never change. Because love never fails.

Love never fails. Love never fails because it is built on the Word of God—which will last forever. There is a man in our church whose favorite verse is Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” “Each quality of love outlined in this book (The Love Dare) is based on the love of God, captured and expressed in the Word of God. The unchanging Word of God. No challenge or circumstance can occur that will ever put an expiration date on Him or His love. Therefore, your love—made of the same substance—bears the same, unchanging characteristics.” (p. 193) Because love never fails.

One of the most popular devotionals posted on Excellent or Praiseworthy has been “The Wedding Prayer.” Please read this old prayer—it pictures exactly what marriage can be, according to God’s plan. An inspirational book about the longevity of marriage, Married for Life, is also described in a posting called “Good Experience.” Both of these devotionals will be helpful if you would like to be challenged in your thinking of how marriage can endure.

The dare today, Day 39, will challenge your thinking. It’s time to go deep and examine your personal thoughts in order to express them into words. Neither you nor your spouse is perfect, and it’s time to declare that even though those imperfections exist, your love is even greater. No matter what they’ve done, your choice is to endure in love. No matter if you’ve been inconsistent (or conditional) in your love, those days are over and you are ready to declare that your love will never fail.

Here is today’s dare during deployment: Pray for the right words to put in writing to express to your spouse that you are committed to them. Your commitment is “until death do us part,” no matter what. If your writing is in the form of a letter, mail it. If it is an email, send it. This commitment can bring security and build oneness in your marriage, especially during deployment. If there are problems in your relationship, remember that things may get worse before they get better. But remember—love never fails.

Here are Scriptures to encourage you in truth:

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever. — Psalm 136:1

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. — 1 Corinthians 2:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. . . . Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. — Galatians 5:22,25

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. — Hebrews 13:8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. . . . Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. — 1 John 4:7-8,11-12

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. — 1 John 4:16b

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. — Luke 21:3

Work cited:

Kendrick, Stephen and Alex, The Love Dare (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2008)