A Dozen Red Roses - Pt 4

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7: ESV).

We can’t leave these last few verses without noticing the relentless nature of God’s love: Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. (v. 6). There are many worship songs that incorporate this concept. One of my favorites is by Cory Asbury. Take a moment and listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQqBfaqK99Q. I like the way Jesus puts it to us: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. (Matthew 19:10-14 ESV). I’m not sure any of us can completely comprehend God’s love for us. Our limited experience of human love hinders us from understanding God’s unconditional love for us. However, God’s message is clear. Even when we turn our devotion or reject Him, his pursuit of us is relentless. This truth makes it nearly impossible to fathom that God could love us even after we have rejected, ignored, and disobeyed Him. Yet God’s love is completely different from ours. His love follows us to the depths of our sinfulness until He has reclaimed us. His love is undaunted when we run from Him, and He continues to pursue us. What incredible love He has demonstrated to us. This is the depth of love that Solomon describes as a model for us in our relationships. Love may have come easy when it was brand new. We ought to come to the belief that love is as much a choice as it is an emotion. Choice is an act of maturity when we put the relationship ahead of everything, including our children. It’s unfortunate, but time has a way of eating away at our priorities. “You’re the most important thing in my life” gives way to “my work… the family business…the children… my aging parents… even golf, football or drinking…” Marriages don’t work well when our partner plays second fiddle to anything – even the children. Perhaps Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for you to renew your love for one another. Certainly it is a great time to renew your love for your Savior and God, Jesus.