Be My Valentine?

Okay…well this has been such an awesome Valentine’s Day so far…not. My Valentine is sick (yeah, so it’s my best friend but she’s still my Valentine), I didn’t really know some of the answers to my British Lit test this morning, and while babysitting, a little girl busted her chin and had to go the emergency room. You’re jealous, aren’t you? But anyway, this is my Valentine’s Day post. For the past week or so, a million ideas have all been buzzing around in my head for what to write about for Valentine’s Day, and the past two weeks, the messages at church have really hit me. Both messages have been out of Hosea, not your typical love book—it’s no 1 Corinthians 13 or 1 John 4, but it’s so powerful, and convicting that it is the perfect thing to write about. Enjoy…and Happy Valentine’s Day!
-taye


The Bride of Christ


So many times it is mentioned in God’s Word that we, His people, His children are His bride. It is also mentioned that He, God is the bridegroom.

“Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give Him the glory! The marriage of the Lamb has come; His wife has made herself ready.”
Revelation 19:7 (The Message)

“And I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.”
Hosea 2:19-20 (ESV)

“For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name…”
Isaiah 54:5 (KJV)

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)

Like most girls, I adore weddings. The elegance of the bride as she steps into view and walks down the aisle in a beautiful, spotless, white dress; the joy on the groom’s face as he beholds his so-soon-to-be-wife; the flowers, the music, the feeling inside at the sound of the bride and groom exchanging the familiar vows. I long so badly to be married; there is just something about that kind of love that is so beautiful and desirable to me. However, the most incredible thing is that I am betrothed to be married to Christ. In fact, all of us are—Christians, I mean. Though, the sad part is that we all commit spiritual adultery—becoming harlots to the world.

Christ’s love for us is so incredible that it is unfathomable to the human mind.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 (ESV)

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are...”
1 John 3:1 (NIV)

“The wildest part is that Jesus doesn’t have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn’t need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance.”
Francis Chan, Crazy Love


Since Christ’s love for us is so wonderful, why then, do we run from Him so often? It is like we leave Him standing at the alter over and over; His bride has abandoned and forsaken Him and left Him humiliated. But no matter what we do or where we run, God is continually loyal to us, His betrothed. That is unconditional love.
I watched the movie Fireproof the other night, and one of my favorite parts is where Caleb, the main guy, is talking to his father about everything he has done for his wife, and yet she still has rejected him.

“I did everything I could to demonstrate that I care about her, to show value for her, and she spat in my face! She does not deserve this… How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?”

Directly following this quote, Caleb realizes all that Christ has done for Him and becomes a Christian. That quote in the movie hits straight through my heart every time because it is so completely parallel to God’s love for us. God shows His love for us in everything, and yet we spit in His face. We do not deserve God’s love whatsoever, and yet despite our constant rejection of Him, He continues to show us love even though we never deserve it. It is easy to show love to someone when they love you back and when their attitude and how they receive your love is agreeable. But it takes the unconditional love of Christ to show love when someone hates you, despises you, rejects you, resists you and pushes you away. That is the love God has for us.

“The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time.”
Francis Chan, Crazy Love

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.’ So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.”
Hosea 3:1-2 (ESV)

God told Hosea to go and marry a prostitute. Hosea obeyed God—knowing that his wife would not be faithful to him; knowing his wife would not love him, but knowing all of this, Hosea still obeyed God and loved Gomer with the unconditional love of Christ—as Christ loves His children. The price that Hosea paid for Gomer was less than half of what a typical servant was usually worth. She was worth nothing. Yet God treasured her and loved her and showed His love to her through Hosea. If you read the entire book of Hosea, you may be putting yourself Hosea's position, thinking "Oh hey! I need to love like Christ loves: unconditionally!" which is true, however, we need to put ourselves in the position of Gomer. "Me, a prostitute-a harlot?!" Yes. We are harlots to the world, giving ourselves over to the desires of our flesh and constantly rejecting Christ and His undeserved love for us.

So I will leave you with this: whatever has your heart is what you will be running after…who has your heart?