1. The first is that God is a romantic too. He is actively pursuing a love relationship with each one of us. If you were asked to name a 'character' who symbolized Valentines, I'm sure that many of you would answer, "Cupid." Cupid is known for aiming his arrow at the hearts of potential suitors causing them to feel a new intense passion. God told us in Isaiah 61 the Messiah "would be sent to bind up the brokenhearted." The Hebrew word used for sent is shalack, meaning "to shoot forth." Psalm 127:3-4 tells us that sons are a heritage from the Lord...like arrows in the hands of a warrior...blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." John 3:16 plainly tells us "God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life." God only had one arrow in his quiver; his one and only Son. But as he looked upon you and me, his heart was overwhelmed. He sacrificially reached into the quiver and shot his solitary arrow straight into my heart and yours all for the sake of having a love relationship. That is the kind of love I consider worth living for and just like a good love story, it still manages to elicit tears of emotion over and over. God is romantic and his touch ignites my passion.
2. Your life is a love letter. Each Valentines Day many of us scour the aisles looking for just the right verses to give to our sweetheart. I want it to be an adequate summation of the love that I hold for my intended beloved. In essence, a Valentines card is a short love letter. If I wrote a Valentine to Jesus, how would it read? Let's get straight to the heart of the matter. If my life were a love letter to Jesus, how would it read? Scripture actually tells us that we are letters for people to read. The issue is whether they spell out a relationship that is based on obligation and a bunch of rules, or one that is about a passionate love. 2nd Corinthians 3:3 (MSG) "Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read just by looking at you. Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God's living Spirit. Not chiseled into stone (like rules to be followed) but carved into human lives (written on our hearts) and we publish it."
I felt like God caused this scripture to literally come alive for me this Valentines. I'm in the middle of a situation where I am completely relying upon my relationship with him. God said to my heart, if you simply concentrate on loving me most, people will be able to read that in your life, especially in the context of how you deal with adversity. That will speak louder than anything you might write or publish with your flesh. "Preach the Gospel wherever you go, and if necessary use words." -St Frances of Assisi
Happy Valentines Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment