Growing up as a teen in the choir, there was a song we always turned to when looking for a piece to sing during our Valentine’s Day programs. Whenever we couldn’t agree on a song, this one by Hezekiah Walker was our go-to. The lyrics, “Love is patient, caring. Love is kind. Love is felt most when it’s genuine,” always resonated with us. But despite the beauty of these words, Love has been abused, manipulated, and misused.
This song is a beautiful reminder of what love is meant to be. It teaches us that God's love is the foundation that allows us to love genuinely. You can’t truly say you love someone if you don’t know what love is. God is love. It's striking how, often, people who claim to be in love can’t stand each other after a breakup—that is a love that is not genuine.
God’s love is evident in the story of Jonah. When God gave Jonah the task of delivering a message to Nineveh, Jonah tried to escape, but he ended up in the belly of a fish. Even in his disobedience, God’s love was evident. For three days, God protected Jonah, ensuring he wasn’t harmed or digested by the fish. God was patient with him, even in his disobedience. Jonah 2:1 says, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help, and You listened to my cry.” Jonah’s gratitude for God’s love and patience is clear, especially after God saved him from the fish’s belly.
When Jonah obeyed and took God’s message to Nineveh, the people believed, turned from their evil ways, and God, in His love, relented from the destruction He had planned. Jonah 3:10 tells us, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.”
But even after this, Jonah became angry. In Jonah 4:1-2, it says, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, ‘I pray You, O Lord, was this not my saying when I was still in my country? Therefore, I fled before to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and You relent from doing harm.’”
It’s often easy to believe that some people are unworthy of God’s love, based on their actions. But God, the Creator of all, shows no partiality. He sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous, the wealthy and the poor. This is the kind of love we should emulate—the love that is not conditional, that isn’t based on what we can gain from others.
As we celebrate the month of love, let’s not forget that God’s love is for the whole world. He loved everyone. Let us strive to spread the love He gives, shining His light to all people. This way, we redefine love—not as something dependent on what we can receive from others, but as something grounded in who we represent.
Stay revived!
No comments:
Post a Comment