How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love to hear you sing. At least that was one of the reasons of a man who this weekend during a church choral number got out of his seat, walked to the front and moved the microphone so it was precisely in front of his wife! Afterwards he told me, “I wanted to hear her sing.” He did. We did.
Love is an amazing thing. Without it life would be so bland or maybe not at all. It was with a heart full of love that God knelt in the grass of Eden and formed man with full intention of giving him Eve. It was with a heart full of love that same God permitted what has to be for all eternity the most horrific act ever. God did not resist as the great, great, great, great grandchildren of that first man ripped handfuls of beard from God’s face, spit on Him and smashed nails into His hands. In 1955 Paul Webster wrote, “Love is a many splendid thing.” In this particular case “splendid” is not the right adjective but I cannot think of a word graphic enough to fit that appalling scene.
And now with a heart full of love that same risen God is our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary creating a dossier on each of us detailing a case that justifies the salvation of each of us. “Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” Hebrews 5:1
In a dream I asked God why He saved us and He replied, “I wanted to hear you sing.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on April 11, 2016
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