When You Struggle to Feel God's Love預覽

Love Never Ends, Neither Does Your Story

Scripture:

“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

Revelation 22:17 (ESV)

Scripture’s story is not only the greatest love story ever told—it’s also the longest. That’s not only because the Bible contains the collected writings of about forty different authors who wrote on three different continents over a span of about 1,500 years. Scripture’s story is actually the longest story ever told because where it should say “The End,” there’s really a “To Be Continued . . .”—through you!

Scripture’s story began with “God’s people living in God’s place with full access to his presence.”[1] Then from creation came corruption. But God had always planned a great redemption and new creation. From one man (Noah) came a family (Abraham), from which came a nation (Israel), through which all nations (the church) are blessed. So . . . the end? Not exactly. The end of Scripture’s story is an invitation to “Come!”

With your self-made entitlement? With your self-manufactured righteousness because you’re not as bad as someone else? With your ministry credentials and church activity? No, no, no! You bring water only one gift: your thirst.

What gives us the right to “see his face” and yet live? (See Rev. 22:4; cf. Ex. 33:20.) Faith in the one who “is love” (1 John 4:8) and who showed His love for us by laying His life down to make us His friends.

So bring nothing but your thirst—your need, your inability, your desperation. In exchange, He gives “the water of life without price.”

Come! Drink from the waters of God’s love since before time and throughout history.

Come! Refresh yourself in the water of life—free for us, purchased by His blood.

Come!

Find yourself so deeply loved,

you can’t help but

join the chorus of

“Come!”

The perfect unity of Heaven and earth will unfold timelessly as we use every God-given gift, talent, and treasure to explore and expand His endless glory as we (yes, we) lovingly “reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5) with “Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5). So we pray, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

And so, the end of God’s great love epic in Scripture is not really the end, is it? “Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:8). And so, neither does this love story.

And so, beloved, neither does yours.

Call to Action:

Here’s a writing prompt for you today: Describe the hope that wells up in your heart as you reflect on the endless nature of your love story with God.

For more meditations and poems like this, check out Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God by Quina Aragon.

[1] Sandra L. Richter, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 118.