Because He Loves You

“Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” (Isa 38:17 AV)

 

The word ‘soul’ has several meanings.  Depending on the context, the word can mean the seat of our thoughts.  It can also mean the seat of our emotions.  The word ‘soul’ can mean our identity.  There are even a few passages wherein ‘soul’ applies to creatures other than sentient beings.  In this particular passage, the Hebrew gives the common definition of ‘soul’ as breath or to breathe.  In this passage, ‘soul’ means our very being.  When we talk of love, it pales in comparison to divine love.  Our love is unconditional – to a point.  However, our love has limits.  When we speak of God’s love, it is something we truly cannot fully comprehend.  This love spoken above is a love for our being.  The simple love of us.  Not what we are.  Not who we are.  Not what we can show in return.  Not come quality we possess that others do not.  This love is separate and apart from all other considerations.  When we say that God loves us, we are not saying God loves us because…..  We are saying God loves us, period!  The result of that love is deliverance.

Marriage is a blessing beyond words.  There are many benefits of marriage.  Perhaps my most treasured benefit of marriage is the evolution of love.  When we are married, our love usually sounds like an additional chapter of the Song of Solomon.  There are qualities of our beloved that stirs our admiration, respect, desire, and appreciation.  Her beauty or his nobility is a strong attractant.  Her talents and his strengths are another.  However, over the years and countless conversations later, each discovers love for the other that goes deeper than what he or she brings to the marriage.  Your love evolves into a love for the person.  Faults and strengths aside, love is simply the appreciation and desire for the person that resides deeper than the senses can discern.  I love my wife because she is.  Not I appreciate what she is and I could never live without that.  But the fact that she is, is the greatest reason to love her.  She is mine and I am hers.  It is this love you see in marriages that last a lifetime.  Elderly couples may not use pet names as much.  They may not exhibit PDA as much as younger couples.  But their love is far deeper.

When we speak of God’s love for us, it didn’t evolve.  There was no sin of selfishness the LORD had to overcome.  No pride or self-interest got in the way of His love.  He loves us because He is love.  A God who owns everything and needs nothing can love us for the simple quality of our existence.  He loves you and me because we are.  Not because of what we are or what we can become.  He loves us and has vowed that if we love Him in return, He will shower His blessings upon us.  We cannot earn His love.  We can earn His appreciation and affirmation, but not His love.  We can earn gratitude for service or admiration for trusting Him.  But we cannot earn His love.  His love is always there because we are always there.  This love is our ultimate source of comfort, security, and joy.  There is nothing we can do to gain more love.  His love is infinite.  When we are down in a pit and need to be lifted out, as stated above, remember, God is love!