GOD’S GREAT LOVE
REACHING!
This coming Thursday is Valentine’s Day once again. Valentines have been out since right after Christmas. We see red hearts, chocolate candy, cards are sent to one another, and it is a day proclaiming love?
But as I look around at all the Valentines and displays
and all the signs of affection that the season brings, my mind looks beyond the
secular view of Valentine’s Day. It has
been told that Valentine’s Day is based on the story of a Christian martyr in the
days of Rome, who was named Valentinus.
He had a great love for his Lord and was in a Roman prison for sharing
his faith in a time of great persecution of fellow Christians. He gave His life because of his love for
fellow believers. It is said that he
helped many to escape before he was thrown into prison.
“Greater love hath
no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” John 15:13
Oh, but there is a greater love than the giving of hearts
and flowers on February 14th each year. The deep love of Jesus reaches much farther
and deeper than all the trimmings of this one day each year. He reaches out to a lost and dying
world. He reaches out to those going through
great trials and grief. He reaches out
with His great love to all those who are suffering and in pain. He reaches out
to the lonely in heart, who feel like life has passed them by. He reaches out to those in nursing homes,
those no one comes to see, and who spend their days all alone. He reaches out to the dark world we live in
with His love.
He reaches out to those in hospitals right now suffering,
and he reaches out right there at their bedsides to bring His special
comfort. I had that experience in past
months where He reached out to me in the dark nights of pain, and oh, the love
of my Lord. It is hard to put it into
words. I met a lady recently in the
nursing home, and immediately we bonded together in God’s love. Her suffering has been great, but oh the joy
she has knowing how much He loves her, and she looks forward soon to meeting
her precious Lord face to face. What a
precious hour we spent together as we shared His love and sang hymns of praise
together. Oh, the joy of knowing Jesus
and His salvation when days are long and suffering is so great. But she has had a glimpse of heaven and she
knows that love truly found a way to redeem her and give her a peace that
passes all understanding. Oh, Praise the
Lord!
And, my friends, He is reaching out to you right now and
offering you His love and His great salvation, no matter what situation you may
find yourself or what stage of life you find yourself. If you have not received the wonderful love
that God brings in the person of Jesus Christ, reach out to Him right now. He is waiting for you with His arms of love
open for you. Just ask Him to come into your heart, forgive your sins and give
you hope within your heart.
So let’s look past all the hearts, flowers and candy, and
look to the One whose great heart beats with the deepest love for us. The red hearts displayed remind me of the
sacrifice of Calvary, the blood my Savior shed for my sins and for yours. The sweetest of Valentine candy could never
be as sweet as the love my Lord has for me, and He is indeed the Rose of
Sharon, the Lily of the Valley.
This great heart of love beats with love that is beyond
all human comprehension. From the
beginning of time, God’s love had a plan, a and a way to redeem man by sending
the Lamb of God, His very own Son, to walk among us, to redeem us by going to
the cross, sacrificing His very life, but Praise the Lord, He came out of that
tomb on the third day, and is now at the right hand of His Father and still
reaching out with His love to all who will call on His name. Oh, how can we
fathom that our Wonderful God had a plan and saw us down the years and. Truly God is absolute Love and He found a
way! Praise His Holy Name!
Wonderful love that rescued me, sunk deep in sin, guilty and vile as I could be no hope within; when ev’ry ray of light had fled, O glorious day! Raising my soul from out the dead, Love found a way.
Chorus: Love found a way to redeem my soul, love
found a way that could make me whole; love sent my Lord to the cross of shame,
love found a way, O praise His holy name.
Love bro’t my Saviour here to die on Calvary, for
such a sinful wretch as I, how can it be?
Love bridged the gulf ‘twixt me and Heav’n, taught me to pray; I am
redeemed, set free, forgiv’n, Love found a way.
Love opened wide the gates of light to Heav’ns
domain, where in eternal pow’r and might Jesus shall reign; Love lifted me from
depths of woe to endless day, there was no help in earth below, Love found a
way.
Avis B. Christiansen
Oh, the depths of God’s love reaching out to you! No matter how deep a person sinks in sin, He raises us from the depths of sin and makes us whole. And when he makes us whole, we are redeemed, set free, forgiven and the gates of heaven are opened wide. And someday we will cross that river, see the light in the city beyond, and enter the joy of our Lord all because love found a way!
Blessings,
Pastor Sharon Besler
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