“Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV) 

If you fail someone, you have no love. Love cannot change. Love is always trusty. Love always care. It, “…never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV)

When we pass a lonely person in need of money, give it to him or her. Buy them a burger. Make it a meal deal. That shows real love.

One day my wife was in the mall. A homeless man came up to her and asked for money. My wife gave him a Canadian Tooney (a two dollar coin). She felt bad about giving him so little, but it was all the cash she had with her. She ran into the same man a bit later in the mall, and he had a bottle of vitamin water in his hand. He saw her and smiled: “I wanted to make sure I got my vitamins!” he said.

My wife, however, could see that he looked hungry. Vitamins were a good choice, but they weren’t likely to take away his hunger pains. She still didn’t have any cash on her, however; so instead of giving him more money, she took him down to the food court. The only place still open, as the mall was closing, was the A&W. She started to order him a burger, but then she changed her mind: “Make it a meal deal,” she told the server, and she paid for the meal with her credit card.

The homeless man was grateful, and my wife was able to share the good news of Jesus with him.

Why would she go to all that trouble? After all, she had already given him all of her cash… She took him to the food court because she knows the true love “…never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8a NIV)

It reminds me of a Bible story. When a lame man asked Peter for money, Peter knew that love never fails. He didn’t have any money to give the man, so he gave him something far better instead:

“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer–at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” (Acts 3:1-10 NET)

Even though he had no money, Peter was able to do something far more important for this man. He accessed the power of the Risen King and the lame man was healed. Why did Peter do this? Because he knew that love never fails!

If you have love that never fails, you can do miracles like these as well. All you need to do is believe in God’s unfailing love and be obedient to what God is leading you to do. God does the rest! Isn’t that amazing?

Proverbs tell us to, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV)

With God’s unfailing love in our hearts, the rest is easy!

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “God’s Love in YOU” devotional series, please click here.)