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The word romance doesn't exactly
make you think of the
Bible. In fact, it usually
brings to mind images of
flowers,
candlelight dinners and couples
in love. The names Romeo &
Juliet along with Samson &
Delilah are synonymous with
romance,
a couple of poor excuses if you
really think about it.
Throughout history we find
stories of men and women who
have
fallen in love, but the course
of true love has never run
smooth.
Even Abraham and Sarah suffered
their share of trouble
and sorrows. Some they brought
on themselves while others
just showed up on their doorstep.
All through the Bible we find
stories of romance, from the
simple to the complex. For some
it only took one look, for
others it took a bit longer; and
there were even some who
didn't get to choose their mates
themselves;
instead they were chosen for
them.
Many find the story of Ruth to
be one of the most romantic
in the Bible: The story of a young widow who was loyal, trusting,
hard-working and obedient who
finds a new husband through the
guidance of her mother-in-law.
It's a love story that has
inspired many messages but one that the world
knows very little of.
It seems the world's idea of a
great romance is nothing like
what God wants it to be. Our
society seemingly admires people
who are sometimes into their
third and fourth marriages. It's
as
though they feel like it's
something to be admired that
someone
has attracted so many different people. But God has
a different idea, one that
encourages a couple to stay
together through the test of
time. True love isn't the kind
that
only stays during youth and good
times; it's the kind that
endures through the sorrows, the
sickness and
the hard times.
Shakespeare's romantic tragedies
have nothing on the Bible.
Think of the story of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob fell in love with
Rachel at first sight, and he
didn't waste any time before
asking
for her hand in marriage. Since he had no wealth to offer, he
offered to work for her. That
may not seem very romantic to
some, but he agreed to work
seven years for her father so
that he could have her for his
wife. At the end of the
seven years, when the
celebration took place, he found
himself
wed to Leah, Rachel's older
sister, instead of his true
love.
Jacob then worked for another
seven years
in order to have Rachel for his
bride.
Our society has this
Happily-Ever-After Syndrome and
as much
as I hate to admit it, I'm guilty. I love to watch a good romantic
movie where the hero saves the
maiden in distress and they ride
off into the sunset. But the truth is that life really doesn't work that
way. No matter how much you love
someone, things aren't always
going to run smoothly. It's just
not going to happen. Which is
why we have marriage vows that
say, For better,
for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in
health.
When we get married as youths we
sometimes forget that that
handsome young man or that
lovely young woman is going to
get older. True love, abiding love, doesn't disappear when your spouses
teeth or hair fall out. It
doesn't just get up and go
when their get-up-and-go has gone out and went.
True love is what you see when
you see an older couple that can
still smile at one another after twenty years or more of looking
at that same face every day. The
other day at the grocery store
we saw an older couple pushing their cart together, and I looked
over at my girls and said, Isn't that romantic?
You see, romance isn't in the
material goods such as diamonds
or gold; it's really in the
little things, like a soft word,
a pat on
the back, a kiss on the cheek, a
gentle squeeze of the hand, a
soft spoken I love you, a tender
hug;
Love is just like that!
If you were to ask most people
what they think of when you
mention love, most would
probably say something about a
man
and woman falling in love and
getting married. Others might
mention their children or parents.
How many would think about a man
who loved us before we
were even born? In fact, He
loved us so much that He was
willing to lay down His life for
us.
The month of February is focused
on love. We receive Valentine
cards, gifts, candy or flowers
as tokens from our loved ones.
Wouldn't it be great if we could
give Jesus to our unsaved
friends
and family, and they would receive Him with as much enthusiasm?
It's easy to picture love as a
pretty box of candy,
heart-shaped
and chocolate filled, or as a
bouquet of flowers tied up with
a beautiful red ribbon. Yet the
greatest example of true love
is not very beautiful to look
upon. In fact, once you truly
understand what Jesus did for
us, it is the
hardest thing to picture.
Picture an innocent man,
betrayed by His friend, bound
and
taken away, placed on trial and
found guilty because of false
witnesses. Jesus is that man.
The crowds of people along with
soldiers, scorned and mocked
Him, placed a purple robe on Him
and put a crown of thorns
upon His head. They spat on Him, beat Him and then led Him
away to be crucified.
I doubt many people would find
it easy to witness such an act.
To see his precious blood as it
fell upon the ground. To view
His torn and battered body as
they nailed Him to the cross.
There was no pretty box of candy
nor any sweet smelling flowers.
Still this is the greatest act of true love, EVER!
Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his
life
for his friends; (John 15:13).
Billie Grubbs
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reserved.
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