Bible Society of South Africa
Izinhlelo zokufunda
40 DAYS — Time with God
40 DAYS – Time with God – Day 20

40 DAYS – Time with God – Day 20

Enduring Love

by Pat Baxter

Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli

1 kwabaseKorinte 13

Ukudunyiswa kothando

1Noma ngikhuluma ngezilimi zabantu nezezingelosi, kepha ngingenalo uthando, ngiyithusi elikhencezayo nensimbi encencethayo. 2Noma nginokuprofetha, ngiqonda izimfihlakalo zonke nokwazi konke, noma nginokukholwa konke ngangokuba ngingagudluza izintaba, kepha ngingenalo uthando, angiyinto yalutho. 3Noma ngabela abampofu konke enginakho, noma nginikela umzimba wami ukuba ushiswe, kepha ngingenalo uthando, akungisizi ngalutho.

4Uthando luyabekezela, uthando lumnene, alunamhawu, uthando aluzigabisi, aluzikhukhumezi; 5aluziphathi ngokungafanele, aluzifuneli okwalo, alucunuki, alunagqubu; 6aluthokozi ngokungalungile, kepha luthokozela iqiniso; 7lubekezelela izinto zonke, lukholwa yizinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lukhuthazelela izinto zonke.

8Uthando alusoze lwaphela; kepha nokuba kukhona ukuprofetha, kuyakukhawuka; nokuba kuyizilimi, ziyakunqamuka; nokuba kungukwazi, kuyakukhawuka. 9Ngokuba sazi inxenye, siprofetha inxenye. 10Kepha nxa sekufikile okupheleleyo, lokho okuyinxenye kuyakukhawuka. 11Lapho ngisengumntwana, ngakhulumisa okomntwana, ngaqondisa okomntwana, ngazindlisa okomntwana; kuthe sengiyindoda, ngayeka okobuntwana. 12Ngokuba manje sibona esibukweni kalufifi; kepha lapho sobukana ubuso nobuso; manje ngazi inxenye, kepha lapho, ngiyakwazi ngokuphelele, njengokuba kade ngaziwa ngokuphelele. 13Manje-ke kumi ukukholwa, nokwethemba, nothando, lokho kokuthathu; kepha okukhulu kulokho luthando.

1 kwabaseKorinte 13ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

When we sometimes feel alone or weary, or the road seems tough, is it not wonderful to be reminded of real love? The love that Paul was talking about in Corinthians: ‘that bears all things, believes all things, endures all things.’

The picture of Jesus as bridegroom comes to mind. He is excited to woo you. He is joyful about the relationship. With Jesus as our bridegroom, we can expect as a Church to have an extraordinary lover: one who bears the pain and believes that God’s love can conquer all things. It is this Christ who can give us the experience of being completely alive, who can heighten every sense and fling us into the heavens. It is a kind of love that Brad Swieger, a contemporary writer, says: ‘Makes the ordinary extraordinary.’ Isn’t it wonderful to have such a lover to rely on? Isn’t it amazing to feel that we are not alone on this journey?

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
SITHOLE KU