1 Chronicles 16:41
With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, ‘for his love endures forever’.
As early as December last year, we’ve already marked February 12 as a one of the special Sundays in Kiddiepointe. When the team sat again four weeks ago, it took us quite some time to unearth a concept based on this question: How should kids celebrate Love Day? Definitely, the boy-girl, date-theme was readily discarded. Family love was next crossed out because we just had that last Christmastime. Friendship was next considered, but somehow, it couldn’t pull that chord of excitement to overflow us with ideas. We ended that meeting afloat. After another week, God’s faithfulness made us realize we’ve been wandering in circles instead of wonder-ing the Cross. How could we miss the greatest love of all? In pursuing His theme, t’was amazing how easily everything fell into place. The finished product yesterday was picture perfect: God so loving us and sending Jesus and the kids responding in love and seeking Jesus. Such a beautiful love story!
When the chronicler came to retell the story of bringing back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, everybody expected him to take hold of the account of Samuel and simply copy-paste the event details. He did. He even stretched it to two chapters long. But for some God-reason, he was kept in his chair, and his heart was somehow unsettled. From the pile of notes and scrolls around him, God prompted him to pull their songbook and soon found his answers. Three of these psalms were first sung corporately during that joyous event. David handed it over to his chief musicians and instructed them to sing it regularly before the Lord. It has been their hearts’ music ‘til they were exiled to Babylon. With the remnants back in promise land, God wanted them to learn their love song. He desired for them to see that the covenant of love He made with Abraham, Jacob and David was an everlasting one. That though they ‘wandered from nation to nation’, He kept them safe from harm. He kept them safe in His arms.
With barely twelve hours to Hearts’ Day, many of us, singles especially, have our minds wondering and wandering how this season of love can beautifully include us. There are those in denial of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that we want to be part of a love story – both as givers and receivers. Either or both can be disappointing. As givers, what if they’re unappreciative? As receivers, what if they gave thoughtlessly? At the end of the day, you might end up even feeling worse. How then can God expect us to give thanks for His love? Like the remnants, God encourages us to look further back and move further on. The remnants immediate back was exile and their immediate front were ruins. Nothing appealing there. But looking further back, they saw the covenant promise, and further on, they saw the Messiah. Finally, they felt loved. I pray we can have the maturity to look beyond February 14 and see how high and wide and deep God’s love is for us. Look further back at the Cross and realize it was love at its best. Look further forward to eternity and you’ll run out of words describing how beautiful ever after is with God. Felt that love?
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