One thing I have desired … That I may behold the beauty of the LORD (Psalm 27:4)

The line “I think you’re amazing” of the song “Do you believe what I believe about you” keeps coming to me over and over. It is sung prophetically as if God were singing this over us, telling each and every one of us that He us is amazing. And my response to being told that I am amazing is to sing back to Him over and over, that He is amazing. And it struck me this morning that this says something about the nature of relationship, namely that there is a tendency to respond in like kind, to what is given.

And this works both positively and negatively. I mean if we get angry with someone they too easily get angry back, if we respect someone they tend to respect us too. What I am describing here is the natural sate of affairs when there is little or no history that colours our response. But in the nature of things, if love has been killed by deep hurts, abuse or betrayal, then it takes a whole lot more love to overcome the hurt, to bring us to the place where we can love again. And because this is so widespread, if you think about it, it is wonder there is any love at all in this wicked and hurting world. But I have an explanation for the existence of love.

And the explanation is that “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Actually many translations have that we love Him because He first loved us, but “Him” is not in the Greek. And what it is saying is that the existence of any love at all, be it acknowledged or not, has His extravagant healing love as the original source. And because He is also the source of all hope and joy and peace, then He is stronger than all the negative forces in the world. And the reason He is jealous for us, is that when we learn to live life His way, then our natural response is for us to exhibit the fruit of His spirit, the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23).

Father, it would be tempting for me to regret the length of time it took for me to learn the hard way that Your ways are best. I seem to need to learn things the hard way, but thank You Lord that at least be it the hard way or not, I did learn and I am learning. Lord You are beautiful and truly amazing, and I praise and worship You this morning in Jesus Name Amen