This week is all about love, right?
Read a mushy love letter lately? Don’t get many of those in our lives, some never get any. But wait…
There is a letter written to us, one big love letter from beginning to end… How does He love us, can we count the ways?
It starts with all creation – created with the love thought in mind of how each critter, flower, star would bring us pleasure…
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27 NIV) After He created everything, He created man and set him among all creation and blessed him. No blessing is mentioned over anything else.
This precious letter walks through all our failings and still shouts ‘you are mine, the apple of my eye’…
“Keep me as the apple of your eye” (Psalm 17:8 NIV) The apple of his eye even before we took our first breath. “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you” (Isaiah 43:4 NIV) Precious not because of anything we’ve done, loved just because we are His…
Then, incredibly, the ultimate sacrifice of love is made while we were still rebelling. Love ran blood red, darkness loomed, then burst forth the light eternal – and love gathered us as a lamb lost and alone, being carried back…
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1Peter 2:25 NIV)
This love letter ends with the powerful, yet tender words of eternal love, of never being separated again, of joyous moments together forever, of the return of the lover our very soul…
“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4 NIV)
“Count the ways He loves you, and you know Who you can count on.” Ann Voskamp The ways He loves us are too numerous to count, but we can count on Him through every fear, trial, doubt…
Happy Valentines Day…
living braver 