What the Bible Says about Love

What the Bible Says About Love - the book

2018-01-05T10:47:00.002-05:00

God IS love.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reveals the timeless, unchanging, ever-present love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we accept this purely unpolluted, undiluted love, we receive God’s view of love to embrace for ourselves, live by faithfully, and give lavishly to others.

All of us need this! Yet, searching out these passages and considering them in context takes time and resources many people do not have. And so, I began this blog with carefully selected and prayerfully paraphrased (prayer-a-phrased) Bible verses to show God’s ongoing Way of Love.

Eventually the posts resulted in a book What the Bible Says About Love, available in print and also in a Kindle e-book. May its pages help you to see how very, very loved you are!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018

What the Bible Says About Love, paperback

Kindle e-book

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Praying for love

2017-09-30T09:22:00.002-04:00

And this is my prayer:

that your love may overflow
more and more
with knowledge and insight,

that you may be able to discern
and do
what is best,

that you may be truthful
yet inoffensive
as you innocently await
the Day of Christ.

Philippians 1:9-10

prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, using a variety of Bible translations from Bible Gateway.

Most of the previous paraphrases on this blog have been collected into the book, What the Bible Says About Love. Lord willing, this begins a series on what the Bible says.

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Dressed in love

2017-09-27T09:53:00.003-04:00

Above all things
deck yourself out
in love
which ties you
to Christ’s perfection!

Colossians 3:14 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017.

Praise God, these prayerful paraphrases have now been collected in the book, What the Bible Says About Love.

Lord willing, this will be the first of a series on prayer-a-phrased scriptures about a variety of Bible topics, so please let me know which biblical subjects you’d most like to see in one book. Thanks and blessings.

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Our common union in the Trinity

2017-09-21T09:38:00.001-04:00

May the grace
of the Lord Jesus,

the love
of God our Heavenly Father,

and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit

be in communion with us all.

Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased 2 Corinthians 13:14 after reading several translations of the verse provided by Bible Gateway.

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God’s love fills the earth

2017-09-02T11:14:00.003-04:00

O LORD,
Your faithful love
fills the whole earth!

Teach me Your Laws
of Love.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, paraphrased Psalm 119:64 after reflecting on the verse in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Loving the One Who Listens

2017-08-24T08:18:00.003-04:00

I love the Lord!
He hears my voice.
He hears my pleas for mercy.

As long as I live,
I will call on the Lord –
The One Who Listens.

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 116:1-2 after reflecting on the verses found in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

~~~

God’s love, day and night

2017-08-21T10:45:00.002-04:00

By day
the Lord aims
His love
toward me!

All night
His song runs
through me —

a prayer
to the God
of my life.

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 42:8 after reflecting on the verse found in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Living in the love of Christ

2017-07-14T10:02:00.001-04:00

Jesus said:

If you believe My words
and follow my instructions,
you will be with Me
in My kind of love!

I’m only asking you to do
what I have done
by keeping God’s Word
and staying centered
in My Father’s love.

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased John 15:10 after reading and praying about the verse from many of the translations on Bible Gateway.

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The Name, The Word to trust

2017-07-08T10:15:00.004-04:00

I bow to You, Lord,
and praise Your Holy Name
for Your totally reliable
love
and Your faithfulness
forever
to the truth.

Nothing can stop or top
Your Name and the promises
You have given us
in Your Word.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 138:2 after pouring over many of the translations found on Bible Gateway.

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No law against real love!

2017-07-04T11:11:00.002-04:00

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” Galatians 5:22-23, English Standard Version (ESV.)

Is there a law against love?
Are there commandments
against joy and peace?

What about patience, kindness,
and just plain goodness?

What about the right
to be gentle,
the right to control oneself,
especially in public?

No law can stand
to forbid
the fruit of the Holy Spirit!

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Galatians 5:22-23 with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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God’s Love holds on and on

2017-06-29T08:48:00.001-04:00

Lord, You do everything
needed
to fulfill Your plan
in me!

Your loyal love
holds on and on.

Never let go
of the works
in Your hand.

Psalm 138:8 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Settling the score

2017-06-26T11:37:00.003-04:00

No vengeance!
No resentment!
No keeping score!

Give everyone
the love
you need.

Leviticus 19:18 paraphrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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How to love your wife

2017-06-19T14:54:00.002-04:00

Jesus Christ loves
the Church (His Bride)
so much that He gave Himself up for her!

Husbands, that’s how
to love your wives.

Ephesians 5:24 paraphrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

...

Not seeing but believing love

2017-06-12T10:30:00.003-04:00

Jesus, I’ve never seen You,
but I love You.

I cannot see You right now,
but I believe
You’re here,
loving me.

What joy!

No words can describe
the glorious delight
found in You, knowing
You will save me.

1 Peter 1:8-9 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, using many of the translations on Bible Gateway.

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Love that lasts forever

2017-05-29T12:31:00.004-04:00

To those who honor God,
the lasting love of the Lord
will go on and on –
forever.

And to those who keep His covenant
and remember His right ways,
the goodness of the Lord
will reach [teach, influence, affect]
our children’s children.

Today's Bible reading in Psalm 103:17-18 has been prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, with the help of many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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The other half of John 3:16

2017-05-26T11:13:00.001-04:00

For God so loved
and prized all
of His creation,
He gave
His Only God-Son
that whosoever believes

in Him

will not pass away
and be gone forever
but will have eternal life

in Him.

For God did not send
His Son to us
to accuse and condemn us,
but that we
and the whole world
might be saved
through Him –

Jesus Christ
The Way.

John 3:16-17 as prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, in the blessed company of many translations found on Bible Gateway

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Love and honor others

2017-05-24T07:52:00.002-04:00

Devote yourself
to loving God’s children.

Give unto others
the honor you want.

Romans 12:10 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, after reading various translations on Bible Gateway.

Call to freedom

2017-05-23T07:47:00.002-04:00

Brothers! Sisters!
You are free
to do as you please!

But, oh, don’t squander
your liberty
on enslaving
sin!

Use your freedom
to help others,
serve others,
and live a life of love.

Galatians 5:13 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, after reading various translations on Bible Gateway.

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God is with you!

2017-05-16T05:39:00.003-04:00

The LORD your God
is right here
with you –

the Mighty One Who
saves
you.

What delight
the LORD takes
in you!

Celebrate God’s love!

With joy
the LORD your God
will sing and rejoice
over you.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading of Zephaniah 3:17 as found in various translations on Bible Gateway.

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Getting crucified with Christ

2017-04-07T09:24:00.003-04:00

Resurrection Power
Galatians 2:20

Look! That’s me on the cross –
selfishness crucified, so
my truest self can now
receive You, Lord.

Now
I can live by You in faith!

Now
I can live in You Who loves me.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased Galatians 2:20 as a poem after reading various translations of today’s Bible verse on Bible Gateway.

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Living real love

2017-04-06T10:48:00.004-04:00

1 John 3:16

How do we know what real love is?
Jesus!

He exchanged – surrendered –
His life on earth
for our lives eternal.

Now let’s give Him our lives
(give up our wants and wishes)
to provide for the needs
of our brothers and sisters
in Christ.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading of 1 John 3:16 with the help of various translations found on Bible Gateway.

Mary's newest book PRAISE! with contemporary psalms and free verse poems has been released by Cladach Publishing

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Jesus commands: Love!

2017-03-31T09:54:00.002-04:00

In the Ten Commandments, God gave us our marching orders! Those directives are meant to instruct, guide, and transform our daily lives and develop the right kind of relationship with God, ourselves, and other people.

Revisiting those commandments or “Ten Words” in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we might think we’ve obeyed them all, and externally speaking, that may be true. But Jesus gets into our minds and hearts with His one command: “Love one another as I love you,” John 15:12.

Not only would that one commandment fulfill all ten, but this marching order takes the Golden Rule to a higher level. i.e., Instead of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we’re told to treat one another the way Jesus would treat us – with relentless love.

This doesn’t just mean to love each other the way we love ourselves since that might not be nearly enough! We’re to love each other the way Jesus loves us – nearly and dearly. Then, as we believe in, accept, and receive Jesus’ love, we’re ready to let His love fill us and overflow.

Mary Sayler on John 15:12 and the Ten Commandments as found in the many translations on Bible Gateway

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Growing in love

2017-03-14T11:25:00.002-04:00

To your faith, do your best to add goodness,
and to that goodness, increase your knowledge.
Then what you know can help to guide your actions.

And, with this self-control, persist in showing
devoted service to God, especially by being
kind to every brother and sister in Christ.

To all of this add agape – not just brotherly
love or passion – but benevolent, sacrificial,
godly love.

2 Peter 1:5-7 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, using scriptures from many of the translations found on Bible Gateway

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God is working it out!

2017-03-13T10:33:00.003-04:00

What relief God’s Word brings even in the most difficult times!

"For we KNOW
that ALL
things WORK TOGETHER
for GOOD
for those who LOVE GOD
and are called
according to the PLAN
and purpose of GOD!"

Romans 8:28 paraphrased by Mary Sayler, © 2017, using scriptures from many of the translations on Bible Gateway

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Loving like Jesus

2017-03-11T11:58:00.002-05:00

Every time I’ve read John 13:34, I’ve been puzzled by Jesus’ words: “I’m giving you a new commandment: love one another.” Since I’ve heard that longer than I can remember, this word of exhortation did not seem new to me. But when I looked up the phrase “love one another” on Bible Gateway, I found no earlier reference.

In the Hebrew Bible, however, God says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,” Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Bringing that love down to earth, Leviticus 19:18 says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In Matthew 26:37-40, Jesus put those two commands together by saying, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like unto it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

A problem arises, though, when people have trouble loving themselves, much less their neighbors! Nevertheless, God still wants this, and so the New Testament clarifies the concept of the true love to be found in Christ Jesus:

• He spoke healing words.
• He called people by name.
• He showed God’s love.
• He taught the kind attitudes we’re to have.
• He gave His life.
• He brought us life eternal.
• He called us to be brothers and sisters
• He empowered us to be children of God.
• He continues to pray for us now.

In the hours before His death, Jesus told His disciples: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I’ve loved you, so you also must love one another,” John 13:34.

Hopefully, we’ll love and appreciate ourselves and our neighbors. Regardless, we must love one another as conduits of Jesus Christ, Whose love flows in and through us. We can't do this by ourselves, but we can agree to it. We can give Jesus' command our amen.

May the Almighty God our Father help us to allow Christ’s love to pour forth profusely. Let it be! So be it. Amen.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, with scriptures from many of the translations on Bible Gateway