Ahhhhhhhhhh, Valentine's Day, the day that so many long for, detest or ignore...
Why do so many long for it?
Because the Creator put in us the desire for romance.
For a deep connection with another.
To be pursued, desired, loved, accepted as we are, to be treasured, cherished, valued for what we have to offer, in who we are, in this moment... We all want it - whether we admit it or not.
Some put up the wall and pretend they don't, often due to hurt or disappointment, so they wall off that desire and block it out.
Others seek it out and either find temporary joy or another disappointment.
This is a day, that spans approximately 15-18 waking hours, where women are hoping for flowers, men are scrambling to buy flowers, women are hoping for a special evening, men are trying to figure out what to do... Often both are like ships passing each other in the night completely missing one another, leading men to feel like a failure and women to be disappointed.
Oh, there are the ones that get it right and create wonderful memories together on this day...
But more often than not, that is not the case.
And the enemy LIKES it that way...
You see there is an enemy out there, a "bad boy angel" who was kicked out of heaven and out of bitterness and spite, he wants to steal all that God loves - - US! He will do that by all means possible.
By planting seeds of pain (LIES) in our life that we just "run with" due to insecurities... By reminding us of the past... of past failures... of past let-downs... through those doubts making us skeptical about the future or fearful of more pain...
He whispers lie #1, that since God can control everything, and He didn't stop you from getting hurt, then He must not care for you and you really ARE all alone.
He whispers lie #2, that if you are alone and you WANT someone in your life, then you must not be worthy, you must not be loveable, you must be worthless... the evidence of no one in your life supports that... Right?
THEN you open your bible and you read...
GOD WANTS YOU!
God loved you enough to take a bullet for you. John 3:16 (paraphrased)
GOD LOVES YOU!
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17
That means He's right there waiting for you, loving you...always.
GOD WANTS YOUR LOVE!
If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15 (He's asking you to choose Him & show it)
He's asking to see YOUR love and commitment to HIM...must it be one-sided with Him always doing for you?
GOD ENSURES YOU CAN BE WITH HIM ALWAYS
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. 1 John 5:1
He has made a way for you to be with Him - He knew you couldn't be in His presence as long as you are in sin (Adam & Eve made that decision for you), so he built a bridge through Jesus' sacrifice, which, if you accept that gift as your own, you get to be with Him forever, starting NOW. He wants to rescue you!
But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted. John 15:7
GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU & BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE
He's saying He wants to bless you, but He must be a part of you and your life and you must spend time with Him for if you don't spend time together, how can you be into each other?
GOD WANTS ONLY GOOD FOR YOU
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
He loves you enough to want good for you...for you to have a future...to have hope...!!!
THE PASSION OF MARITAL LOVE
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. Song of Solomon 8:6-7
There is an entire book, 8 chapters, about marital love. Marriage is intended to give us a taste of the intimacy, the bond, the love God has for us. When we connect with another who also loves God, He enables us to love each other, as He loves us both... it's how He intended it. The enemy is the one who has distorted, destroyed and damaged the institution of marriage. The way God intends it - it's fantastic!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN LOVE
God shows us in the next verses HOW we should love...and likewise, how we should define love.
(Love is not jealous - if it is - it's not love.)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthian 13:6-7
GIVE EACH OTHER A BREAK!
In the next verse, God asks us to give each other a break and be patient for our faults... He gives us a break, he'd like us to do that for one another as well. It helps us to love one another better - and that's all He asks...
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Philippians 2:2
When two people love each other, they need to have shared vision. It's not enough to care or to commit, but to have a common vision to work towards together, that way when everything "hits the fan", they have that common thread to pull them through it all together. They have to share a love for Jesus.
TRUST GOD, HE'LL WORK IT OUT!!!
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
God loves you so much that no matter what goes wrong in your life, no matter how you screw up or someone hurts you, God can turn it around for your good and get His Glory out of it.
God has done this in my life time and time again.
I can testify to that!
I write of a God who loves you, who is with you, who is waiting for you to acknowledge Him, who IS pursuing you, who wants to be pursued, who wants to bless you, who wants to take care of you, who wants you to have hope and look forward to the future...because He only wants good things for you.
God is good, all the time... Rest in His love today.
Why do so many long for it?
Because the Creator put in us the desire for romance.
For a deep connection with another.
To be pursued, desired, loved, accepted as we are, to be treasured, cherished, valued for what we have to offer, in who we are, in this moment... We all want it - whether we admit it or not.
Some put up the wall and pretend they don't, often due to hurt or disappointment, so they wall off that desire and block it out.
Others seek it out and either find temporary joy or another disappointment.
This is a day, that spans approximately 15-18 waking hours, where women are hoping for flowers, men are scrambling to buy flowers, women are hoping for a special evening, men are trying to figure out what to do... Often both are like ships passing each other in the night completely missing one another, leading men to feel like a failure and women to be disappointed.
Oh, there are the ones that get it right and create wonderful memories together on this day...
But more often than not, that is not the case.
And the enemy LIKES it that way...
You see there is an enemy out there, a "bad boy angel" who was kicked out of heaven and out of bitterness and spite, he wants to steal all that God loves - - US! He will do that by all means possible.
By planting seeds of pain (LIES) in our life that we just "run with" due to insecurities... By reminding us of the past... of past failures... of past let-downs... through those doubts making us skeptical about the future or fearful of more pain...
He whispers lie #1, that since God can control everything, and He didn't stop you from getting hurt, then He must not care for you and you really ARE all alone.
He whispers lie #2, that if you are alone and you WANT someone in your life, then you must not be worthy, you must not be loveable, you must be worthless... the evidence of no one in your life supports that... Right?
THEN you open your bible and you read...
GOD WANTS YOU!
God loved you enough to take a bullet for you. John 3:16 (paraphrased)
GOD LOVES YOU!
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17
That means He's right there waiting for you, loving you...always.
GOD WANTS YOUR LOVE!
If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15 (He's asking you to choose Him & show it)
He's asking to see YOUR love and commitment to HIM...must it be one-sided with Him always doing for you?
GOD ENSURES YOU CAN BE WITH HIM ALWAYS
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. 1 John 5:1
He has made a way for you to be with Him - He knew you couldn't be in His presence as long as you are in sin (Adam & Eve made that decision for you), so he built a bridge through Jesus' sacrifice, which, if you accept that gift as your own, you get to be with Him forever, starting NOW. He wants to rescue you!
But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted. John 15:7
GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU & BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE
He's saying He wants to bless you, but He must be a part of you and your life and you must spend time with Him for if you don't spend time together, how can you be into each other?
GOD WANTS ONLY GOOD FOR YOU
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
He loves you enough to want good for you...for you to have a future...to have hope...!!!
THE PASSION OF MARITAL LOVE
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. Song of Solomon 8:6-7
There is an entire book, 8 chapters, about marital love. Marriage is intended to give us a taste of the intimacy, the bond, the love God has for us. When we connect with another who also loves God, He enables us to love each other, as He loves us both... it's how He intended it. The enemy is the one who has distorted, destroyed and damaged the institution of marriage. The way God intends it - it's fantastic!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN LOVE
God shows us in the next verses HOW we should love...and likewise, how we should define love.
(Love is not jealous - if it is - it's not love.)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthian 13:6-7
GIVE EACH OTHER A BREAK!
In the next verse, God asks us to give each other a break and be patient for our faults... He gives us a break, he'd like us to do that for one another as well. It helps us to love one another better - and that's all He asks...
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Philippians 2:2
When two people love each other, they need to have shared vision. It's not enough to care or to commit, but to have a common vision to work towards together, that way when everything "hits the fan", they have that common thread to pull them through it all together. They have to share a love for Jesus.
TRUST GOD, HE'LL WORK IT OUT!!!
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
God loves you so much that no matter what goes wrong in your life, no matter how you screw up or someone hurts you, God can turn it around for your good and get His Glory out of it.
God has done this in my life time and time again.
I can testify to that!
I write of a God who loves you, who is with you, who is waiting for you to acknowledge Him, who IS pursuing you, who wants to be pursued, who wants to bless you, who wants to take care of you, who wants you to have hope and look forward to the future...because He only wants good things for you.
God is good, all the time... Rest in His love today.
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