REAL LOVE

Time with Jesus - Friday, 20 January 2012

Hi all,

In the Book of Deuteronomy, God indicates that “Israel” belongs to Him and “Jacob” is His special possession. In the context in which this is written, Jacob and Israel are the same. It’s a classic piece of Hebrew writing in which the same thing is stated twice. We could perhaps say that God is expressing His love for His people. Special possession is an interesting statement. The best illustration I’ve heard is to say that Israel is my “pocket money”. The entire world belongs to Him. In a sense, if the entire world was expressed in terms of an income, it was all His.

We understand this best when we say that you and I earn a wage; So much per week or month. Whatever! We have certain commitments that must be paid. For instance, we have to buy food, clothes, family needs, rentals etc. So although all the money is ours, we are compelled to spend it in a particular way. But every one of us likes to have something to spend on whatever he/she wants. We call it our pocket money. For you and me, it’s special. It’s mine for me to spend as I want. No strings attached, it’s mine. As children, most of us received something from our parents to spend somewhere. For me that was my pocket money.

Now think of it on a Divine Scale. God loves us all. We are all His people. Every man and woman on this earth is His. We are all His possession. But, like us, God has a special possession. Favourite in the sense that the pleasure we get with our pocket money is how He sees His people. His people are His pocket money!

The implications of this are staggering. Suddenly the Song of Songs starts to make sense. God is the King. In the book, He is the groom. Then He begins to describe His love for you and me; we are His bride; His special possession. He shares His passion with and for us. We respond in the way a bride responds to her groom. It’s breathtaking! You are His special possession. You are His pocket money. You are His beloved.

How can such a love be described? It’s supernatural; It’s that unique love of God that gives itself away. The Greek word somewhat Anglicised is “agape’” What’s it like? Some years, ago I was listening to one of our better known SA speakers. He asked much the same question. How much does God love us? By way of answer he spread out his arms as far as he could.  He added that it’s exactly, what Jesus did – then Jesus died. He can go no further, because there is nothing any further. That’s agape’! No limits and no end.

Today’s meditation looks at the Love of God.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland.

Real Love

There’s little understanding of the love of God Most High, For guilt-infested sinners, the like of you and I. We don’t know why He bothers. Why should He even look, At people who don’t care for Him, or what is in His Book. It seems we’ve been inoculated, so we cannot tell, If we are bound for heaven, or have been condemned to hell. We know it’s done by Satan. We know about his hate. Any person that is born – they have to share his fate. And so he does his very best, in order to ensure, That not a person in the world could any way be pure. But thank God, Jesus knows it. He knows of Satan’s trap. And just because He loves us, He died to fill the gap, That Father had erected the instant of the fall. And He came here to close it. He died to save us all. We mostly find His love for us is more than we have seen. It stretches to eternity, where we have never been. This world is full of “eros” which usually is lust. Do the things you want to do! There’s no one you can trust. So if your “love” is glandular then grab it double quick. The value of virginity, That makes me feel so sick. Mankind are only animals, so you can copulate With anyone or everyone. Who needs a marriage mate? We find it all around is. This is normality? If that is now your attitude, it’s crass stupidity. The fact is, you don’t understand what Christ has really done. He didn’t die upon the cross to stop you having fun. He died because He loved you. There was no trace of lust. He didn’t have to do it for the children of the dust. He didn’t love for my sake, but because it had to be. He didn’t get emotional and concentrate on me. He saw a dying people, who had been led astray. A lost and mad humanity who didn’t have a way, To come and meet His Father. Compassion then arose, And filled Him with a longing to go and rescue those, Who truly would receive Him and love Him for His sake. A love that gives itself away and cannot bear to take! A love that says, “Whoever, no matter where you’ve been, I’ll freely give My life away so that you can be clean. No matter what they do to Me, my focus is on you. My love for you is limitless. I’ll do what I must do. If you will just believe me, I’ll teach you how to love. Then you can also give your life for God who reigns above”. Jim Strickland – Written Friday 20th January 2012.