Thursday, February 14, 2008

Some thoughts on Love - Valentines Day 2008

"But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations." Exodus 20:6 NLT

It is all too easy for us to *feel* separated from God, all alone, and unloved, but Romans 8:35-39 assures us that is it impossible to escape God's love, even if we don't feel His love.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? NO! Nothing can separate His love from us, ever!! And as I learned from Mr. Rogers when I was 5....love isn't always about a FEELING (when Mr. Rogers talked about our sibling relationships haha).... It's about a commitment!

True love was brought to us in the ultimate expression when Jesus showed His eternal commitment to us and He laid down His life for ME... for YOU. Will that commitment bring us strong feelings!? ABSOLUTELY! But even in our valleys when we don't "feel" His love - we have to listen to our HEART our SOUL and just KNOW that He DOES and absolutely always will love us! Because it's the Truth and that is the beautiful thing about Truth - it is so profoundly simple and concrete no matter if you believe it or not!

When I had my day of discouragement and then my day of encouragement back to back --- and I laid on my bed and cried and just felt God's love like I had never felt before --- it was the first time that I truly can say I felt something that was literally indescribable. I can usually find some words to describe myf eelings....but that day, the love and mercy and grace He poured all over me was beyond english comprehension. I searched for words - and "love" just didn't seem to do what I felt justice. Maybe "lavishing His love on me" was close....but when I asked that day, "God DO you love!?" ..... I felt the answer and it felt like...not only do I LOVE you Randi - but I have loved you with a deeper love than you will ever understand and I have done it since the beginning of time and will do it forever more. I was at a loss....I felt the same thing back to Him but couldn't say any words...I just hope my tears and heart said enough to Him at that moment.

He wants us to love Him back!! He wants us to be captivated by Him, absolutely enamored and just blown away by Him. He won't just throw Himself at any passerby, He gave us our own free will so we have to CHOOSE to seek Him or not..... He wants to be pursued!! He wants to be desired!! but He won't make us! Although we have to make the choice ourselves, He also is a jealous God and is fiercely devoted to us and He will fight for us...He will give us endless opportunities to turn back to Him.

We were made in His image and as women we share these characteristics, these desires of our heart! to be loved, to be captivating to somebody, to be desired, sought after and fought for....

Jeremiah 31: 3 says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness."

He shows love to me in SO many ways - He woos me with the sunsets He gives me EVERY day (and if I miss the sunset, He always gives me beauty someplace else!), through His word, through the people He puts in my life.....but above all His presence!

Can you even believe what we have available to us? Do you truly understand and appreciate what happened when that curtain was torn at Jesus' death. We now have unlimited access to God, THE creator of the whole universe --- and He IS love. You can't go to His presence WITHOUT feeling in your soul, love! What an incredible and truly AWEsome God we serve!!!!!

I wish for everybody today that you feel loved -- but even bigger, I pray that you KNOW at the core of you that you are cherished and desired right where you are and that God loves you and wants you!!

More for you to look up: Matthew 6:26...Song 2:10 and

3 comments:

Candy-Faith said...

I loved this post :)

melanie said...

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Rebekah said...

I love the scripture you quoted from Exodus! How awesome that the God of the universe desires to lavish love on us...it just amazes me.