LOVE LETTERS

The Lord hath appeared of old unto

me saying, Yea, I have loved thee

with an everlasting love; therefore

with loving-kindness have I

drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

He passed the note to me from someone sitting behind me. It was eighth grade, during a class session. The note read the usual juvenile phrasing: “I like you if you like me. If you don't like me, then I don't like you.” I couldn't believe I had gotten such a note even in a lifetime. The guy was a good guy, nice looking. Soooo, I wrote him back: “I like you if you like me If you don't like me, then I don't like you.” My note got intercepted and word got out as only junior high age kids can handle such a thing. I don't think that guy and I spoke to each other even through our senior year of high school year.

Young men have wooed sweethearts from the beginning of history. It was always meant for a young man to draw a young woman's interest to himself. Some suitors sent flowers, bought candy or took his girl of interest out to eat. He may even have written letters of love to her to hopefully seal a loving relationship with her.

Despite how men and women have come together in a loving relationship, no one could ever pursue love for another like our Heavenly Father did with each of us. We are most blessed that our Father God didn't come close to an eighth grade boy who knew nothing about love, whose attraction was only momentary. God doesn't just send us periodic notes to tell us of his love and care for us. He has provided an entire book of love notes that is ours any time we want to read them. One summer, I received a few letters from my college boyfriend. I didn't just read those letters one time and then put them away. I read them over and over. Such is how we should regard God's love letter to us.

Our Heavenly Father has made promise after promise to us in His Word all bathed in the love and blood of His precious son. His love is not conditional like that eighth grade note. God's love came our way first. Psalm 139 tells of His love for us before we were born. Our job is to respond to that love. We may sing: “O how I love Jesus...because He first loved me.” I pray we mean every word of that precious sentence.

Thank You Father for Your unconditional love, a love none of us deserve. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all. Thank You for Your every promise that is bathed in love and Your shed blood for us. In Your precious name....Amen