June 18
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1 JOHN 4
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. – 1 John 4: 17-18
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1 JOHN 4 PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The love that the world offers is temporary and transactional
The love that we have from the Lord is infinite and unconditional
If you take the worldly love that is given to you by someone
Hold on to it while it lasts, for soon it will be gone.
Fear is the opposite of love for it makes you enslaved
Fear is the absence of trust and can make one in bondage
If fear consumes you, you will never feel joy or freedom
Fear makes you on edge and exhausted and without wisdom.
The love that God the Father has for his children lasts infinitely
It gives you such assurance and contentment that is limitless
The steadfast love of the Lord is so satisfying and fulfilling
It makes one feel accepted as he is so gracious and forgiving.
The love that the Lord has for us is perfect and complete
He gives it to us and we ought to receive it without working for it
He made us all into his own image and likeness
He knows that if we accept his gift, we will be righteous.
If we love, we are made perfect by it because he loved us first
Let us cast all our fears and enter into the greatest kind of love
He gave us his only Son to die so we can be redeemed and renewed
Let us not live in fear, but let our minds and hearts be lived for Jesus.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think people fear so many things? What does that reveal according to these verses?