"A Beautiful Word—Love!" by Derl G. Keefer
Deuteronomy 6:1 “Now this is the mitzvah, the laws and rulings which Adonai your God ordered me to teach you for you to obey in the land you are crossing over to possess, 2 so that you will fear Adonai your God and observe all his regulations and mitzvot that I am giving you — you, your child and your grandchild — as long as you live, and so that you will have long life. 3 Therefore listen, Isra’el, and take care to obey, so that things will go well with you, and so that you will increase greatly, as Adonai, the God of your ancestors, promised you by giving you a land flowing with milk and honey.
(A:vi, S: v) 4 “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, Isra’el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one]; 5 and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. 6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9 and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates.
(S: vi) 10 “When Adonai your God has brought you into the land he swore to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov that he would give you — cities great and prosperous, which you didn’t build; 11 houses full of all sorts of good things, which you didn’t fill; water cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig; vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant — and you have eaten your fill; 12 then be careful not to forget Adonai, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.
-------
The word love is a beautiful word. Poets, illustrators, philosophers, theologians, and lovers have written so much about that word. The reason? Because love is so important. We use the word love to express our feelings about everything from animals to Zumba workouts!
The Greeks had several words to express love, including the following: Eros describes the emotional love or the “feeling” of love; it desires to be close to the object of this love. Maybe it is best described as romantic love. Philos is a good description of a friendship between two people who have common interests or experiences. Storge is love between family members. The family love is one where authenticity reigns, forgiveness is quick, inspiration builds, and loyalty is sincere and fiercely committed. Agape love is entirely about the one who loves. The most common word for God’s love, it is the purest form of love that requires no payment or favor in response. It is a choice to love.
God’s perfect love is the very best for us. Is it any wonder that Moses would express to his people that they needed to love God with all of their heart, soul, and strngth? God's Love is beautiful.
-------
Hymn for Today: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" by Charles Wesley
Hymn for Today: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" by Charles Wesley
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
2. Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
3. Come, Almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
4. Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
-------Thought for Today: 1 John 4:8 Those who do not love, do not know God; because God is love.
-------
Please pray:
That many young people in Bolivia will be called into Christian ministry.
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment