Dearly Loved

I feel compelled today to write the obligatory blog on love for Valentine's Day, so here goes...

If you know anything about me, you know that I love music. I am moved by it, passionate about it, captivated by the way that lyrics, rhythms and chords can change a person’s mood, bring tears to a person’s eyes, and so accurately capture a thought or picture or experience from one’s mind.

One of my favorite songs is Jimmy Needham's song "Dearly Loved". If you have never heard this song, I highly encourage you to stop reading this blog post right now and go download the song. It's good stuff.

Several phrases in this song captivate me and remind me that love – TRUE LOVE – is so misunderstood in our world today. It's interesting to me all of the different ways that our world might define love. I was in the Harris Teeter early this morning and found a sea of red and pink - flowers, balloons, chocolate and candles - flowing all throughout the store. And yet standing in line to check out, I read magazine cover after magazine cover recapping the sad details of America's latest breakup or listing out the top 10 ways to make sure your man knows that you love him. Seriously? Our world's view of love is so very skewed and distorted.

“Dearly Loved” tells of a different kind of love - a love that is WORTH it - a love that never fails, never breaks up, and never needs a top 10 list of ways to know that it is really love.

The song begins…
Please lay down your arrows
‘Cause they're sure to pierce the skin
And water from a broken well
Will make you thirst again
When all things you've acquired
Are tested by the flames
And you can see them melting
Then will you call his name

Often we drink water from broken wells that only lead us to thirst again. Jeremiah 2:13 speaks of this as well, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cistern that cannot hold water.” Why do we do this? Time after time, we run to things that were never intended to satisfy us. We run to relationships, possessions, accomplishments, and pleasures of this world – but in the end, the satisfaction is achingly temporary and we are left wanting, even needing more. Our hearts were shaped with a need for satisfaction – a hole that longs and desires to be filled – but we continually run to the wrong things to fill that hole. When we finally see all the things we’ve acquired for what they are – just things – then will we call His name? When will we finally get it?

The song continues…
To the slaughter you are being led
Being told that it's a party
That this God is in your head
And every single lie
Sounds just like the greatest truth
But the one truth you're not hearing
Is that he died for you

Again so true…this world lies to us! There are so many people out there who believe the lie that everything other than God can satisfy you. Some days (more than I am probably willing to admit), I too fall prey to believing that lie. It’s so believable! But oh the truth is that we are not hearing the truth - the truth that Christ died for us so that we wouldn’t have to live a life eternally separated from Him – the truth that Christ died for us so that we would have access to the throne of grace – the truth that Christ died for us so that HE (and HE alone) could be the One to satisfy our deepest longings for intimacy and love and acceptance!

The chorus ends with…
It's worth it, brothers
It's worth it, friends
To know your Maker
To lose your sin
Did you know that you are dearly loved?

It’s worth it!! In a world where rarely things are worth what we pay for them and rarely things turn out the way we thought they might, what GREAT NEWS that there is something that is truly WORTH IT!! Costly, but WORTH IT! Our response to this True Love should be to leave our sin and our desire to rule our own worlds (that’s the costly part), and experience fully how dearly loved we truly are by the One who is worth it!

For those who know Christ, He loves us enough that while we were still His enemies, He died for us (Rom 5:8). He loves us enough to call us His children (1John 3:1). He loves us enough to make us His heirs (Rom 8:17). He loves us enough to promise never to leave us and never to allow us to be separated from that love (Rom 8:37-39). I could go on and on. If you know Him, relish in His love today! If you don’t know Him, what better day to start that personal relationship with the One who is worth it!

So, today on Valentine’s Day, I am reminded that the God of the Universe loves me more deeply than I can even fathom or imagine. He created the very definition of love – selfless, unconditional, gracious, merciful, and patient love. His love for me and for you led Him to a cross. What will my love for Him or your love for Him lead us to do?