“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life". John 3:16 (Amplified)
Few years ago, on the eve of valentine day while on my way home, I stopped by at a shopping mall to pick up a valentine gift for my wife. The shopping mall was gorgeously arranged and stocked with a lot of beautiful gifts, red hearts, chocolates, flowers, perfumes, greeting cards and all kinds of lovely gifts with the inscription: "You're beautiful and I love you." The gift I chose was really beautiful but the price was far above what I had planned for. As I considered the exorbitant price again, the blood of an Accountant in me started flowing with strong justifications why a relatively cheaper gift would have been good for the occasion. I was about buying a cheaper gift when I remembered a statement below that I read in an article some years ago:
"Marriage is like a bank account. It is what you deposit into your bank account that you can withdraw. If you don't deposit love, peace and care into your marriage, you are not a candidate of a blissful home. There is no free love in marriage, You cannot love without giving and sacrificing" ( Unknown Author)
The depth of your love is a function of what you are willing to give or sacrifice for others. Genuine and true love will make anyone to be ready to spend and be spent. That was what God demonstrated to us in John 3:16, for God so loved that he gave. God made it very clear that true love is actually not cheap. Love cost God the most expensive gift in the shopping mall of heaven. Love made God to pay for the sins of the whole world with the precious blood of his only begotten Son. That is the greatest deposit of Love in the Bank of the Universe.
Beloved, love is all about giving and sacrificing. If you are married, then everyday should be Valentine's day in your home. You should always look out for opportunity to make some deposits of love in your marital bank account. You may never know when you will need to make withdrawal from those deposits in future. So, please go ahead and put a smile on the face of that special person in your life today. However, it's obvious that nobody can truly give if he/she has not experienced the touch of the giver himself. Yes, It is not possible to love if you have not encountered the LOVE of God.
"The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him". - 1 John 4:8-9 (Amplified)
It is therefore important that we reciprocate the ultimate deposit of God's love by giving Him the most expensive gift in the shopping mall of our life - which is our soul. On this Valentine's day, with or without those beautiful red hearts, chocolates, flowers or greeting cards, I urge you to please fall in love with the real and true LOVE (GOD). Tell the Saviour of your soul how much you love Him. Please make Jesus your Val today by starting a genuine love relationship with Him and you will enter an unending realm of glory and victory.
There is no better song that described the ultimate deposit of God's love to humanity like that old Christian hymn titled "Wonderful Story of Love". The hymn was composed by J.M Driver in 1892. May I urge you to please join me this morning to sing and meditate on the lyrics of the hymn below as we tell the whole world about this wonderful story of love.
WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE
Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.
Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.
Happy Valentine's day. Good morning and God bless you.
Maranatha!
Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
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