Love Letters

...but that ye might know the love
which I have more abundantly
unto you.
II Corinthians 2:4b

I was new to junior high school. Boys had always been so far down on my list of priorities that it wasn't even funny. However, one day in a math class, someone behind me passed me a note. After looking at the note, and seeing the name, I became quite flustered. A male classmate had passed the note to me through two other people. The note said the usual: “If you love me, then I love you. If you don't love me, then I don't love you.” With that, he signed his name. We had gone through grade school together so this was kind of a surprise to me. He and I had never even spoken that I knew of. SOOOO...I answered his note with: “If you love me, then I love you. If you don't love me, then I don't love you.” Class was about over so I gave it to a good friend of mine to hand to him on the way out the classroom door. She took the privilege of showing it to half of the school. Can't tell you the results of all of that and as a result, I don't think the young man and I ever spoke to each other even on through high school.

In high school, I had a couple of secret crushes, but had learned to never tell a single soul about it. My most serious relationship was in college with a dear Christian guy who was to be and turned out to be a pastor. We were parted for a summer. We both had ministry work we did that summer many miles away from each other. We weren't where we could telephone each other so letters had to do it. I can't begin to tell you how I rushed home every day anticipating getting a letter from that boyfriend. I read his letters over and over. He wrote at least every ten days or so which was good for a guy. When letters didn't come, I pulled out the ones I had and read them until they were almost tattered. When letters did come, I didn't leave them sitting on a dresser unopened for a week. I couldn't wait to tear those envelopes open. There were reasons for that. He was a dear guy I had come to know pretty well. We had a relationship that honored the Lord in every way. I knew he cared very much for my well-being. He was always honest with me, a person of truth. We shared a love for each other that was just for a measure of time. Still, we shared a love that had meaning even though it would never mature to full blossom. It was a blessing for that time.

I know of another man who was a wonderful letter writer. I first came to know him as Saul of Tarsus. His life required a great deal of refining, but he came to know and love Jesus probably like no other man I have heard of. In that process, Jesus changed his name to Paul as he was on a road trip. Because of his very personal meeting with Jesus, Paul was considered an apostle. I never had the privilege of meeting him personally, but I have read his letters, his love letters. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to write each one. I have read some of his letters to the point of having some worn pages in the Book where I find each one of them. The difference is that I'm not the only one reading his letters. I don't care if a friend shares his letters with others. They are for all to read and to share with others.

Paul probably speaks of love in his letters as much as any other contributor to the Scriptures. In a few places, he expresses his personal love for his readers while most of the time, he encourages his readers to be people of love. Even Paul in some of his letters, that are now ours, speaks of his love for his readers. If Paul were writing his letters today, hewould still express his love for us.

       My love be with you all
       in Christ Jesus, Amen.
   I Corinthians 16:24

And I will very gladly spend and be
spent for you; though the more
abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
II Corinthians 12:15

The Holy Spirit spoke through chosen men and now the Scriptures belong to you and me personally. His love written is as good as spoken from the heart of God for all of us in our present times. If you are not a born again Christian, reading the Bible is like reading the love letter that belongs to someone else. It might be interesting but wouldn't be personal. For God's love letter to be meaningful, we must have a relationship with Him. If there is no relationship, there wouldn't even be an interest in reading it at all.

The whole of God's Word is our Heavenly Father's love letter to you and me, born in His heart in eternity, coming down through His Spirit to you and me this very day. Remember, as I have quoted before from the godly scholar, Woodrow Kroll:

                                      “The Bible is the only book God has written.
                                           I think he'd be pleased if we read it.”

Dear Father...I love You because You first loved me. Forgive when my love grows cold. I want to stay close to Your heart. As You pour Your love into me, I pray I will allow Your love to flow from my life into the lives of others. May my life be as a letter of love that others can read and see your love in action. In Jesus' precious name...Amen