Can’t Buy me Love
By Kurt Bomar
Avery County
Song of Solomon 8:7 “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. (But) If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”
Remember back in the 60s when the Beatles (the great philosophers of their day) told us that you just can’t buy love?
We all get that and am sure we agree as well.
Why is it then that we try to buy love from God? What I mean is, don’t we often think, “The Lord must really love me today because I had my devotions for an hour! I’m really going to be blessed today. After all, I earned it.” Perhaps we expect blessings because we did a good deed for some unfortunate person or maybe we just said “no” to a temptation. Conversely, when we sin, we think God doesn’t love us as much.
The good news/bad news (depending on how you look at it) is that that kind of love is useless because it is based on your works instead of His grace. Don’t try to buy the Lord’s love.
Here’s the really good news. God loves you just as much when you miss your devotions, you lose your temper, or you fall yet again to temptation. (I’ll prove that later).
So why, some might ask, do we even try to do the right things if it doesn’t make a difference? I didn’t say it didn’t make a difference, I said it won’t affect how much God loves you.
All you have to look at to prove this is your relationship with your children. Do you love them anymore when they clean their room, do their homework, or mow the grass? We don’t love our children based upon their works, but rather because they are OUR’S! They can’t earn our love, it’s already there.
So why should they mow the grass or help with the dishes? In a healthy relationship, it’s because of appreciation. They love their parents and they want to please them and spend time with them.
The blessing of daily devotions and good works is that WE are changed by them. We get a clearer understanding of the depth of the love that our Lord has for us and we just want to be around Him all the more.
Paul said it so clearly: Rom 8:38 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I can’t earn that kind of love, but I sure like basking in it.
Selah (think about it)
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Kurt Bomar is the pastor of Walnut Grove Church located in Avery County. You are welcome to join them on Sundays at 11:00 AM for worship! (When we are allowed to meet in the building again). You can read more Christian news from Kurt Bomar HERE.
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