Ring of Fire Broadcast Transcript ~

God’s Design For Loneliness ~

January 21, 2021

The Lord kept pressing upon me just how much the church body needs one another and yet, they do not believe it, let alone demonstrate brotherly/sisterly love to one another.  He began showing me several groups in the World who are more loyal and loving to one another than the average Christian, while they are yet sinners and what a blemish this portrays to His church.  He impressed upon me we better get it together and quickly, for time is very short and soon, very soon we are going to be placed into forced situations of needing one another and yet, no one may be found.  A call to love has gone out upon His people – Will we answer that call?  Some will and some will choose to stay in the false mindset of pride, stating, I have Jesus and need no other, which isn’t Biblical by the way – so as a gift He gave me this corrective and instructive teaching to apply to my own life.  It is a blessing because it drew up from within me what my heart cried out for and already knew and it also pressed repentance upon me for going against His design and listening to humans too much.

We are in a new season of preparation – He is gathering us together and those who want to come with Him are joining as one, partaking of love, feasting on Jesus – soon the door to the feast is closing, as He is personally tossing out the spots and blemishes who are not authentic in their demonstration of love.

You all ready to learn about – God’s Design For Loneliness?  Let’s get started!

I am already aware that many of you suffer silently in loneliness, thinking there is something wrong with you, afraid to speak up, confused and listening to whispers from the enemy that there is something terribly wrong with you – like you are incomplete, questioning your faith in Jesus and maybe why He is not enough for you.  I too know those self-condemning voices all too well – so rather than listening to man or even woman in my case, it is time we lay down all the words of vanity and go right to the Father’s words and search out the Scriptures for God’s true and divine plan, so that we have wisdom and strength in Him. 

Just to stir up your minds a little and open them to truth, I want to begin with a question, which we will answer along the way today…  Before the Garden fall, at the very beginning is where we too are going to begin today.  Back to a place where all things were perfect and good, way before sin entered the minds and hearts of others, be cleaned and washed by the purity of the Father’s design…  In a place and time where His design was untouched with the uncleanliness of humanity.  Because when our foundation is wrong, the whole thing is wrong… My question to you is:  If all things were design were perfect, void of the separation of sin and Adam communed fully with the Father – Why did the Father say to Adam, it is not good for man to be alone and created Eve?  What a perplexing question that is.  Right?

Well today, we are going to explore that Biblical truth, the Lord’s way, as the Holy Spirit unfolds God’s word and teaches us Himself.  We are also going to lay down all preconceived notions of man, which at times use God’s word selectively for self-gain in how they desire the Father’s will to be so they are off the hook so to speak from walking in submission to His design – today we are going to talk about – God’s Design for Loneliness and how it relates to the divine impartation placed within our heart’s desire.  And I hope to cover why you long for another to come along beside you on this journey called life.

So take a breath…. And let’s get started.  This teaching will likely make some of you nervous and for others bring a sigh of relief.  Regardless, the truth should always set us free, knowing it is already written upon the tablets of our hearts and if we are indeed a child of God, we should quickly come into agreement and alignment with what He has proclaimed – regardless of what the flesh desires.

In the New Testament there is a recollection of a time when Paul was very downhearted, lonely and depressed while out on a mission spreading the Gospel and yet he was with other believers his heart was longing for one he was especially close to.  He was pressed on every side, feeling hopeless and to help assist him – the Lord sent Titus to remain with him.

Let’s read the Word found in 2 Corinthians 7:

⁴ Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵ For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

⁶ Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

⁷ And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

So the Lord sent Titus to deliver something to Paul’s heart that only he contained.  Titus comforted Paul, who described himself as downcast in the soul.  The Lord delivered comfort to one by the way of another when that particular one was lonely and in need.  He didn’t cast a demon off, he didn’t shame him for feeling hopeless, yell at him to get up, quote scripture to him – you know what God did?  He sent a friend…  A familiar face to embrace in love.  Paul and the others were in need and Titus was given a command to go and within Titus God placed comfort to deliver to those who needed uplifted and they were.  Relationship.  Fellowship.  God’s perfect design.

Did you know we are actually created within the Image of our Father to fellowship with one another?  Our Creator enjoyed fellowshipping with Adam in the coolness of the day and He actually enjoys being in relationship with each one of us – it brings Him great pleasure to do so.  This helps us to understand why loneliness sets in within us and a desire to be connected comes by the way of the heart when we are disconnected from those we love.  It is the same desire the Father has towards us as His creation, that we have towards one another.  But for many reasons the enemy like always, skews and tampers with to make unclean that which the Father has deemed clean – including relational love in the image of our Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Communing and fellowship is how we were created to be with one another.  Humans are interactive by nature since birth.  Did you know a newborn can have all their physical needs met and starve to death of love if not nurtured and held and comforted?  We are like that newborn in God’s family in many ways.

Here is what the enemy does not want to see happen, because he knows divided we fall.  He isn’t afraid of us nearly as much individually as he is when we join with fellow believers.  The more light we shine together, the more difficult it is for him to remain hidden and he hates it when darkness is revealed and brought forth by truth.  He can accomplish much more if darkness is not revealed so he goes to extremes to keep us silent and not exposing his unfruitful works.

Hebrews 10 says:

 ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Assembling here means to complete one another, gather together to worship the Lord.

We are incomplete without one another…. Even if we have the Lord, His Body is fitly joined together, one heart, mind and soul in Him.  We compliment one another in the Body by the tasks we have been given to complete the Lord’s work on Earth.  We have hands, eyes, ears, mouths, toes, arms, legs and all need one another to be a whole body.  Yay!  So see you are not so weird as people convinced you that you are!

We just read to not forsake gathering together to be complete.  Amen?  So a lack of connection stirs up loneliness for God’s children who are actually healthy in the heart.  The problem is we tried to join with most often with those who do not share or partake in the same love for Jesus that we have.  The Word calls this being equally/unequally yoked…  But wait… there is more – because honestly, many of us out of desperation for love have tried to join with others who do not share “in love” as we do…  We always love more, demonstrate love more than it is returned, are happy to compliment others for their growth, we pour out to those who do not “assemble” to love as we do.  Once we realize we are not in an equally yoked relationship, it helps to let go if possible and if not, to seek the Lord to restore all things new by His design, to be patient and wait for Him to move.  This is a tricky situation if you are committed, unless there is infidelity/abuse/neglect and such – which are all forms of adultery (being unfaithful in a relationship) – but let’s talk about that specifically another day because having sex outside of the marriage covenant is only one way someone is not faithful, there are many ways actually.  So if you are in one of those situations right now – pray and ask the Lord to lead you to stay or leave, depending on what His will is in your life.  It is during these times, I never trust my emotions or my heart – when I do I will stay when He wants me to go or go when He wants me to stay and most times He is seeking me to see if I will surrender to His will, then I am released from the desire of my heart.  He often doesn’t do things as quickly as we prefer – I remember Him telling me when married my husband was making me impure and I ended up waiting 7 years to be fully released.  Every situation is different and when I say released – it is about the heart, not the flesh because the flesh portion happens much quicker in my experience.  So above all else, seek Him. Amen.  Okay moving on…

The truth is Jesus sticks closer than a brother because He is all knowing to the truth of us – but even that doesn’t negate the joining of us with one another.

The only places I could find within Scripture that speaks of a true separation is where we are told that if an unbelieving spouse departs to let them go and then this one pertaining to marriage as well found in

1 Corinthians 7:

⁵ Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

So it is only through the agreement of both parties that you separate for a time to dedicate yourself to only the Lord, but we are instructed to come back together again or else the enemy will enter into the relationship and divide.

It is important to note, but we don’t have time to get into all of it today – that Paul often spoke of him not taking a wife as he did not burn with the desire to do so – it is evident the Lord used others to compliment him and ease his loneliness in a most precious way.  Which is the main reason we are even having this talk today – within the gathering together of Jesus’s Body, one to another we can live a very complete and fulfilled life.  Thank You Lord Jesus.  But for me and many of you as well, it is like we have a knowing inside that the Father did create us to compliment a partner in life – no two molds are the same, all are created differently for the fulfillment of greatest measured purposed on Earth.  It is the Father that places that desire within each of us, to be joined or be alone – one is not more highly esteemed than the other, just different.  My mom always told me there is a lid for every pot… just don’t boil over while in the process.  I do believe that – I do believe we are how the Father designed us before the fall – I just think we struggle with settling for something not that special, either giving up altogether or trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole., so we are always searching – never finding.

So don’t think it strange and don’t let anyone shame you for longing for, praying for and desiring to be a half of two, instead of incomplete as one.  Like I said God answered that question Himself at the very beginning by giving Adam an Eve and when He did so – He said it is not good for man to be alone.  Before the fall, like I said everything was perfect – there was no sin to separate God from Adam and the same is true for our eternal state of being.  Sin separates us not only from God, but from one another too.  When we sin against one we love – separation occurs by our own hand.  So in this beginning picture we see God and Adam communing together in the cool of the day and even with Eve too later on before they sinned – they had pleasure in one another and with the Father and the Father was pleased, they were pleased.  It is beautiful really.  So we see here it is possible to be in full surrender, obedience and purpose to the Lord and be one with another and you can also see you can be one with the Father and be alone and still have lack like Adam was before Eve.  Humans are created to be interactive and joined for complete fulfillment.

Like I said, unfortunately, we’ve looked for love in many wrong places, settling for wrong partners and friends, instead of waiting on God to deliver to us who He chose for us to be yoked with in Him.  Did you notice before how after every single thing the Father created He declared it was good?  He saw Adam and said this is not good… So He created Eve out of Adam and then declared it was good.  Have we just convinced ourselves that God changed His mind from the beginning?  Or do we just convince ourselves to bring comfort to ourselves on why things haven’t worked out?  Lately, the Holy Spirit has really been convicting me that if I truly desire to be surrendered and obedient I am not to pick and choose what portions of His word I want to come into alignment and agreement on in my own life, based on what I desire to agree with – He’s showing me either I embrace the whole truth or none of it and as all this is unfolding I am seeing the desires He placed within me – that it is those I am to hope for no matter what.  So I pray this encourages many of you as well.

Again, before sin entered the World, God declared it is not good to be alone, so He custom designed a female for the only male human existing on Earth at the time – all the animals already had counterparts, but remember He also placed within them a desire for one another, they already had a desire for the Lord – He joined them together, so that is truly three becoming one – a cord not easily broken.  Some might say it was for procreation to populate the Earth, but that is only the fruit of man not being alone, it is not the purpose of it, by what is written in God’s word.

Isolation was never created or called good – humans do that…  Relationship, human interactions with one another and with the Lord were His design from the beginning – it was His plan for humanity from the start and until the enemy began to lure Eve away, while Adam was distracted and then he weakened to the point of letting her convince him of going against what the Father said – 2 being 1 in the Lord was perfect, not shameful.  If they had not spent time apart, it is likely the serpent would not have been able to even get to Eve.  So as the love of many is growing colder in this World, relationships are severing all over the place and the enemy is at work in the process to redesign a masterpiece God already called good.  Lucifer divides in order to conquer and the Lord unites in order to strengthen and believe it or not, it seems as if the enemy is winning – thankfully he is already defeated and God will win this and all battles and by our reliance on Him, we too will overcome all things.

These life principals found in Ecclesiastes 4 that we are getting ready to read reveal a precious word portrait of the Father’s design of His family’s love one to another here on Earth.  Family in of itself is all about relational interactions – whether it be disheartening or dysfunctional or even frustrating at times… Love always remains between family and we remain loyal – family, real family is loyal to one another.  My brother Tommy John who is a few years younger than me and we used to fight like cats and dogs…  Today he is my very best friend, not because we haven’t ever been through any struggles – but quite the opposite really – we stick by one another, loyal and with love because many times, one another is all we have.  He is the other half of my 2 I guess you could say, proven by time he is always there for me – no matter what, just as I am him.  But as zealous as we are at love, we have the same zealousness for mercy, forgiveness, irritation – lol… like he hates it when I chew on the phone, just little things like that and when he corrects me – he’s usually right, but no one tell him that – I always have it coming and you know why he can correct me?  Because, we have relationship – he is there when I am down to comfort me – day or night and he is there to celebrate with me in the good times too.  Never correct someone more often than you love on them, not ever.  Anyway, I know this sort of love is possible, because I have experienced it – the problem is, sadly it is very rare.

Okay, back to our study…  We know lucifer isolated Eve in order she heard only him so he could coax her into disobedience.  And just to add to the 2 is better than 1…  Sadly, Adam left Eve’s side or she left his and they both were placed into a vulnerable situation.  You know the Garden is just so very telling of many things in the unveiling of truth and for today’s study, it is so important for us to see how the enemy can seduce the weaker one or even the stronger one without the covering of another.  And when we join ranks of agreement with the enemy through the uncovering, blame sets in, just as it did with Adam who blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent…. Not staying joined allowed the enemy to break the cord binding together, although not easily broken, it was severed and since both fell, neither could pick the other one up.  It makes me sad to think about really… What breaks that cord?  When you do not cherish the bond and nurture and care for it by partaking in love together.

Moving onto Ecclesiastes 4:8-16:

⁸ There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

This is a mindset of the lonely – convincing themselves they don’t need anybody, even though our Father told us it is not good to be alone, these are the ones who protect themselves usually from past betrayals and hurts, who have slowly slipped into pride declaring I don’t want anyone close to me.  They become unyielding to others, will not listen to council and refuse comfort – sadly it is a sore and painful travail for them their whole lives.

⁹ Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Two have a greater measurement of rewards for their work for the Lord as 2 can accomplish much more for Him than just one can.

¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Every human falls at times and requires and longs for another to come along beside them and help them to stand, it is a God given gift – a back and forth sharing in a relationship of taking and receiving.  Sadly those who only learn to take are left with the void of what it means to give and those who only give are just as void, cut off from receiving love as well.  When we refuse to be yielded to help by insuring we stand alone, we suffer more unnecessarily, because we have not allowed anyone close enough to help us up when we fall.  The Word tells us we often cannot get up without someone else’s help in addition to the Lord’s and when we pick ourselves up, we lack the comfort required to be made whole again.

¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

We can grow very cold inside without human interactions and intimacy with others.  Receiving love through a vessel which contains the love of Jesus keeps us warm during the coldest of trials.  Love is transferable between two of God’s creation – to receive and to return is equally important for balance in our lives.  If we remained guarded and alone, we may be warmed for a moment, but it is fleeting at best.  Love is relational, just as our relationship with Jesus is.

¹² And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We need one another to overcome the enemy who pursues us day and night, to steal, kill and destroy us.  Without a covering to walk with us on Earth, the enemy can prevail in our lives in ways he otherwise would not.  A threefold strand represents you, another and of course our Lord – so that we are able to withstand (not be moved to falling permanently) assaults, but rather overcome them all and grow.  Through trials as we grow, walking together, we grow as one too!

¹³ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

Here we are shown the purpose of being childlike rather than a secluded ruler, isolated and alone.

So we will get back to this in a moment, but first I want to touch on some places in the New Testament that compliments what we just read in the Old, knowing many carnal minds are thinking I have Jesus, I need no one else.  We still have a command to be together with others in such a communing way and have a command in essence to divinely serve those who are lonely, in which togetherness in the Lord is the remedy.  We – the church – with Jesus first of course, is the cure for such loneliness and oh how so many are lonely in this World right now, even those who are following Christ, many are lonely, needing comfort and love by demonstration, not just words.  All the disciples were blessed to know Jesus personally, but when He sent them out – even they went out 2 by 2, not to mention how the animals entered the Ark.  When we simply just give lip service to others regarding our love, it is void of sustaining fruit.

The reason I often hang on the demonstration part is because over the course of my life, I’ve often been told by many they love me, over and over and yet – their actions reflected otherwise.  Being older and wiser now – I am not moved so much by words of flattery, seeing I was laden with sin and drawn to that type, but Jesus set me free and I can see clearly now to my own worth and when someone does not mean what they say and say what they mean, that is it not purposed for me to cleave. Yay!

In the Family of God, the Ecclesia, the Church Body of Christ we are to partake in much together – relational, with one another, celebrating being an actual Child of God –

Romans 12              says to REJOICE with one another

Galatians 5             says to SERVE one another and CARRY one another’s burdens

Ephesians 4            says to FORGIVE one another

1 Thessalonians 4    says to COMFORT one another

1 Thessalonians 5    says to ENCOURAGE one another

1 Peter 4                says to OFFER HOSPITALITY to one another

James 5                 says to PRAY for one another

And the list is endless really, we are to mourn when others mourn, feed, clothe, visit them, give them our cloak for covering, actually… If someone comes to us in need and they are a part of the family of God, we are not to withhold our hand from them.  Again… relational and purposed actions and deeds.

So what does this look like exactly?  Because there truly are many rewards we receive right here and now from our obedience to the Father.  These are not suggestions, but rather principals that our real brothers and sisters are to abide by, as well as us, and if we do not follow our Lord’s commands we can be in danger at times and things don’t always go well for us, do they?

Reviewing Ecclesiastes 4 –

• Verse 8 spoke of how difficult it is when we attempt to just go it alone.  I think the word was “sore travail.”
• Verse 9 reveals how much more strength and encouragement we will have when given Godly assignments when shared by two, rather than just one doing all the labors, causing weariness.  There are natural and spiritual blessings that come upon 2 doing a quick work, like a faster turnaround, when there are doubled efforts of – hands, feet, eyes, heart, minds, etc… the work is completed quicker and in fullness.
• Verse 10 explains how when 2 are walking along, 1 falls and is too hurt to get up, the other one can lift you up, even to face danger ahead or carry one another to safety.  Sometimes we need another’s perspective in our time of pain, they often can see things we cannot.  Plus, we all need that 1 who will not walk away no matter what and yet loves us enough to tell us the hard truths, not just what we want to hear.  It also says in the Word, that if one is entangled in sin, you who are more spiritual, help that person up, help them to stand tall and keep walking on the straight and narrow path.  You must, you must have a close relationship with someone first or they will not receive what you are saying – again 2 is better than 1 for this command.
• Verse 11 shows us how providing support, comfort and nurturing is so warming to a hopeless heart when all seems lost.  That sort of love is extremely comforting as a display of our Father on Earth through one of His vessels.  It also displays our willingness to be humble, bend down to assist another, even to the point of touching what may be unclean to most – because that is what love does.  Love gives of your time to another, it is a display of affection, placing one above yourself which makes them feel worthy enough to even be loved.

When it comes to love cherishing another – perception is everything, otherwise it is cold and work based.  We are commanded to love, but love cannot be commanded void of demonstration.  We often make the mistake of loving others the way we desire to be loved, but pure love doesn’t seek its own way, it seeks to embrace the heart of the other person so they experience our embrace. 

• This King Solomon, we read about being so very wise, paid a heavy price, pretending he could go it alone, not needing love as he had the approval of the masses by his charm, intellect, position, speech and appealing appearance.  He was alone by his own vanity of choosing self-reliance.  Solomon had lost his purpose somewhere along the way, eventually only to find himself alone on an emotional island.  He said, paraphrasing here, how there is nothing better than a faithful friend, speaking of how he went out searching for one and found none – only many who needed one – had finally decided he needed another, but none was found – just more of those who needed him.  He had receive the reward of the admiration he sought for, but he was longing and empty inside, having no one to share his life’s journey with – all the up’s and down’s – he finally figured out when it was too late… how lonely life at the top can truly be.
• So there are many dangers to going it alone – like this King who was isolated, he refused to be willing to receive advice or wisdom from others, he would not receive assistance, comfort or help and what is the saddest part of this whole story – his heart grew so cold he no longer could receive love, he stopped searching for it.  This is what happens if we place ourselves on the throne of our hearts – we won’t let love in any longer. 

So there is a moral to this story and there is a purpose to it as well, which I will share in a moment.

I just want to remind us all – some pearls of wisdom –

To have a friend you must be one.

To be loved you must love.

We always get back to the exact measurement of what we give away and when you continually push people away, one day they will eventually just stay gone.  Yet, those who partake in the feast of love with you, will never leave your side.

Our joy is made full, not by receiving love, but by giving all our love away so that when it returns back to us, we are kept warm in the heart as it takes two – one cannot keep their own heart warm.  There is one to give and another to receive, Jesus is the love we exchange.

I mentioned there was a purpose in all this, besides the obvious, of course.

ROF Ministries is getting ready to launch ROFCONNECT…  I spoke a little bit about it a couple months ago and some of you sent your email address in and you do group emails occasionally, which is fabulous, btw.

I said after the new year, Lord willing we would launch ROFCONNECT and start plowing the ground and see if it is what you all, those we love and serve benefits you in anyway.  Remember our vision is to “heal hearts His way…” So this is just another outreach we are going to try and approach it somewhat patterned after the Prison Ministry. 

We firmly believe no one should feel left out, alone, sad and hopeless – so if the Lord allows, we have a heart’s desire to be used by Him to assist others to connect.  Whether that be in a group or 2 by 2, that is up to you and up to the Lord.  We are going to move slowly, prayerfully and with fluidity by the Holy Spirit in this assignment.  The Lord recently laid upon my heart just how much His Body and children are going to need one another to stand firm and in balance and that love in action is the key.

So here is how it will work…  Nikki is my assistant with this little outreach.  She has a new email specifically for ROF which is:  NIKKIROFCONNECT@GMAIL.COM

All you have to do is email her and for now all who join will receive continual weekly encouragements and I strongly encourage you all to write each other within the group often – words of encouragement and be open to share in your daily struggles, so without chains we may love and comfort one another.  As we move forward, we will seek the Lord’s guidance on matching people up 2 by 2 or you all may even do that yourselves.  If we do that… don’t laugh, but it goes with a dream I had years ago called – “matched by heaven…”  I used to joke I would run a dating service through the Holy Spirit’s guidance with strict adherence to Godly principals.  Although, males and females are encouraged to join ROFCONNECT, it is not, not a dating service… and believe me, I will know if any sneaky ones try to make it that…  With that being said – I still believe… every pot has a lid and may the Lord have His way in this, it is for you all and for His glory.  So if you are interested being on the ground floor of this new endeavor just email Nikki and we’ll see what happens!  I honestly have no expectations whatsoever.

Lastly, the Lord really convicted me last week…  Saying, my church keeps preaching about loving their enemies and my own children do not display love to one another.  He reminded me how charity starts at home and how we are not to withhold our hands from our own flesh…  Why?  Because when we do this preaching to the choir sort of thing and we are not walking it out one to another – we are no better than the hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another.  We are similar to those religious ones who pass by a stranger fallen down in need to get to church, to declare our holiness before all men.

We must check our own hearts to see, am I a clanging cymbal or sounding brass?

In closing, lets read it as a reminder of how important demonstrating love is to the Father, no matter our gift, assignment or calling…  love is what He desires to spread more than anything else.  Remember?   We are known by our charity, demonstrations of love – not our wisdom, teachings, fancy prayers, ministries, revelations, dreams/visions, declarations, but by our charity – which is all that we discussed today in how we authentically embrace one another.

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.