Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Proverbs 19:8 (NLT)
To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
The Christian Standard Bible says, “The one who acquires good sense LOVES HIMSELF; one who safeguards understanding finds success.”
There are so many believers who condemn themselves, put themselves down, and continually beat themselves up. God loves them, others love them, but they do not love themselves, or see themselves as valuable. Interestingly, a person can be very self-focused, and seemingly ‘very into themselves’, and at the same time, not really value, or love themselves. People who do not love themselves cannot love God, or others… you simply cannot give away, what you don’t have!
Do you love yourself? Do you see the diamond in yourself? Do you really value yourself, and are you fully convinced that you are a blessing, waiting to happen to someone else? If not, how do you begin the process of loving yourself?
EVERYTHING in the kingdom of God flows like a river… to get something, there must be a continual INFLOW as well as a continual OUTFLOW… if you don’t have both, the flow stops! Love is like that… you have to RECEIVE, then immediately GIVE what you have received away… this makes room for more… this makes room for a greater, stronger flow. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE.” Receive agape’ love by faith, and then, immediately give what you have received away… as you do this, you will start increasing in all levels of love… loving yourself, loving God, and loving others!
James 2:8 says, “If you really fulfill THE ROYAL LAW according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.” The Passion Translation says, ‘Your calling is to fulfill the royal law of love as given to us in this Scripture: “You must love and value your neighbor as you love and value yourself!”’
The ‘royal law’ is a New Covenant law… ‘the law of love’. God is LOVE, and His love is loaded with the POWER to heal, to deliver, to make whole, and to bring freedom in every area. All of the gifts of the Spirit work by LOVE, and the Bible says, if you do not have love, you have nothing. Agape’ love flowing into you, and out of you like a river is the solution to every problem.
When you don’t love yourself, you cannot give away what you do not possess, so you are not able to GIVE love to God, or to others. By faith, freely receive LOVE, then immediately let it flow out of you to God and to others! Let love flow like a river, this is the royal law!
As His love flows into you, and out of you, the anointing and the power of God will increase in your life! Wisdom will increase, the gifts of the Spirit will increase, you will increase financially, and your ability to bless others will increase! Let the river flow!
In His amazing Love, Nick
