“Whom having not seen ye love.” 1 Peter 1:8

We have never seen the glorified body of Jesus, but we have believed what His word declares of Him, and believing we love Him. As the only-begotten Son of God, who was exalted, dignified, and glorified from everlasting; as the voluntary Saviour of poor lost sinners, who became incarnate, suffered, bled and died for them. We love His adorable person, His countenance is majesty, His heart is love, His hand is omnipotence, His eye is bountifulness, His bowels are compassion, and His presence and smile are heaven. We love His precious salvation, in its freeness, completeness, and glory. We love His delightful promises, which anticipate our wants, meet all our wishes, and fill our souls with peace. We love His throne, where He meets us, attends to our requests, and blesses us indeed. We love His holy precepts, which exhibit His authority, display His love, and call us to holiness. We love His heaven-born family, who wear His likeness, are the excellent of the earth, and resemble the children of a king. Oh to love Him more! To love Him with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength! To manifest our love to Him by holy actions, and a useful life!

A bleeding Saviour, seen by faith;
A sense of pardoning love;
A hope that triumphs over death,
Give joys like those above.   —-James Smith

A. W. Tozer wrote,”The spiritual man wants to carry his cross. Many Christians accept adversity or tribulation with a sigh and call it their cross, forgetting that such things come alike to saint and sinner. The cross is that extra adversity that comes to us as a result of our obedience to Christ. This cross is not forced upon us; we voluntarily take it up with full knowledge of the consequences. We choose to obey Christ and by so doing choose to carry the cross. Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to the Lordship of Christ and obedient to the commandments of Christ. The man who is so attached, so committed, so obedient — sees everything from God’s viewpoint. The ability to weigh all things in the divine scale and place the same value upon them as God does is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. God looks at and through at the same time. His gaze does not rest on the surface but penetrates to the true meaning of things. The carnal Christian looks at an object or a situation, but because he does not see through it he is elated or cast down by what he sees. The spiritual man is able to look through things as God looks and think of them as God thinks. He insists on seeing all things as God sees them even if it humbles him and exposes his ignorance to the point of real pain.”

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”–1Cor. 4:2
The Latin phrase Semper Fi — short for Semper Fidelis — is well known to United States Marines and their families. It means “always faithful” or “always loyal,” and has served as the motto of the Marine Corps since 1883. On the Marine Corps emblem, an eagle holds a ribbon in its mouth inscribed with Semper Fidelis. The words “always faithful” suggest there is never a time when a Marine will not be faithful to his or her duty to country.

The Marine Corps motto could well serve as a motto for the Christian life. The apostle Paul makes the point that “ Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2). And Christians are nothing if not stewards — of creation, of spiritual gifts, of the Gospel, of time, talent, and treasure, and of the grace of God. There is never a day when we are not expected to be faithful to God, never a day when we can allow fear of the future to replace faith in the God who knows the future. Abraham received amazing promises from God about the future, and Abraham was faithful — “he believed in the Lord.”

If you are a follower of Christ, let Semper Fidelis be your watchword today and every day: Always Faithful.– Turning Point

When faithfulness is most difficult, it is most necessary.—-Anonymous