How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. Song of Songs 1: 15, 16, NIV.
Dear God, You are love. You are the Source of Love. We need Your help to enable us to love others in ways that are meaningful, and that will bring out the best in them; and will help to sweeten, and save, our relationships. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Yesterday we looked at “the reason” our relationships end prematurely. Even though we could break this “reason” down into several parts, I believe Jesus captured in its entirety, the overall reason, why our relationships end prematurely; our hearts have become hardened. That is what sin will do, when we allow it. If we listen to the insinuations of the evil one, He will never encourage us to, “Seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34: 14, NKJV). So regardless of what the particular reason is; it is rooted in the “hardness of our hearts.” Now let us look at one of the antidotes that can help us in our fight against the hardness of our hearts.
Expressing, and Showing, Love and Appreciation. Our Scripture for today is taken from one of the Books of the Bible that we hardly use; and which is, perhaps considered by some, as, the “misfit,” in Sacred Scripture. “The Song of Solomon,” or, “Song of Songs,” or, “Canticles,” is filled to capacity with some of the most endearing statements that are to be found anywhere! Such statements are quite in order for use between husbands and wives, of any age group. It would do many of us good to memorize some of these passages, and share these thoughts with our spouses. I believe it is a good idea for husbands and wives to be free, and abundant, in their expressions of love to one another.
One of the most powerful expressions that I know of, even in the midst of a misunderstanding, is; “I love you.” It can produce some rather unexpected reactions. I have witnessed some very wonderful results. Even hard hearts can respond to a honest confession of love. I have seen people almost at the point of throwing in the sponge. But they believed that what they shared with their spouses was worth holding on to. They decided, that even though they were not feeling the love at the moment, they would speak the love. I have seen the words work on the speaker as well as on the receiver! Verbally, expressing your love to someone else, can provide the atmosphere for that love to actually begin to take root again – especially, when it is adequately, responded to! What we must never forget, is that, because God is love; the principle of love has creative power embedded in it!
I have seen love bring about changes that nothing else could have brought about! The love of God flowing through us is life-giving; life-producing! Have you noticed how some people just seem to “come alive” once they meet their soul-mates? It is a wonderful phenomenon to observe! Their attitude, their physical appearance, everything about them seem to take on a glow that was missing! When there is no longer a need for “faith” and “hope, there will always be room for ” love.” Because “the “greatest of these is love!”
A gift is a wonderful way of showing love; especially natural gifts like flowers, or a knitted scarf, or a poem that is your own inspiration. But something, can never take the place of someone. We need to be there for the persons we love. At the end of creation week, God could have given us any gift. He had the power to produce any “out of the ordinary,” fabulous gift. But what was His gift to His creatures? A 24 hours chunk of time – The Sabbath! When we give people our time, we give them ourselves. We spend the time with them. We are all theirs; to listen to them; to converse with them; to empower them; to renew our relationship with them!
Before the series is over we will say more about showing our love to each other.