Love Day

Ezra 8:22

I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’

Tris came home late last night with a pre-Valentine hot choco for me. I hugged him for his sweetness, then asked ‘Can I save it for tomorrow morning?’ Sensing it was the thrifty-me taking over, he spilled the beans why he went to Starbucks: to check out which drink and pastry he’ll surprise me with for breakfast. I again acknowledged the thought but told him I already prepared for that, and the special dinner. ‘I’ll just bring you home a special dessert!’ he said, still excitedly. But I told him the kids are set to surprise him with baking too. ‘So is there anything else I can surprise you with?’ he softly said.  Then I knew I was doing it all wrong.

Ezra’s task in chapter 8 was to bring home the second set of exiles from Babylon. God worked in Artaxerxes heart and they were given a go, and a lot of gold too. As he sat by the Ahava Canal, their meeting place, he probably visualized the journey a hundred times in his head and noted all the ifs and buts ahead. The distance was around nine hundred miles by foot and the danger of bandits were real. In his heart was the urge to request Artaxerxes for bodyguards. A just in case. Nothing seemed wrong with that, except that he gave the testimony of God’s gracious hand on them. It would contradict his claim of God’s protection if he’ll ask for more protection. And so for God’s honor, he quenched his human reasoning’s pull.  He entrusted everyone and everything to God, and He never failed them.

1 Corinthians 13 says love protects. In my story and Ezra’s, it is that call for the honor of the ones we love. Relationship verses almost always have or imply that those two words go together. That is, for parents and children, husband and wife, and brethren to brethren, to honor one another. And what exactly does protecting their honor look like? Let’s use the word defense. It is that which blocks all the arrows intended for the city. To us, it means forsaking our convenience and security, status or idea, even personal plans, for the sake of God’s honor and those that we love. It is their name above ours, their preference over ours, their interest not ours. Now that’s a lot like love.

Still In Love?

1 Kings 3:3

“Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.”

Falling in love. It’s the greatest feeling of all. It brings you so high in your emotions, so deeply concerned for the person, and so widely open to endless hopes. It’s so powerful it makes your heart helpless and uncontrollable, thus the ‘falling’ suggests. You can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t work - - so it’s fatal too, hahaha. Every second seems to revolve around that person. Your thoughts are filled with him - - every word he said, every move he made, even details of how he looked that day.  Yes, I can still vividly remember how Tris and I climbed that big tree in UP lagoon eight years ago. He could have literally fallen because of me. But up there with him, I just knew I’d do and give and be everything for him. Anything to please him. I emailed Tris a picture of that tree just now. Brings back beautiful memories…. and promises made.    

Whenever we hear the name Solomon, what usually follows is that we remember his wisdom and his wives (fyi: 700 official wives, 300 concubines!!). Only now did I realize we’re missing out one big word that defines him, one that came before his fame and big family - - LOVE. That’s right, I’m quite surprised myself. His parents may have given him a name which means peace, appropriately because of their restored fellowship with God, but then God sent Nathan to give him the name Jedidiah, meaning ‘loved by the Lord’. From peace to love, such grace! And he sure saw the full extent of that love when he was chosen to be next to the throne. Overwhelmed with that favor, we read now in verse three that ‘Solomon showed his love to the Lord’. He loved because God loved him first. He loved and so he walked according to the statutes. But like the rest of mankind, he allowed many things to come in between of that first love. Marrying Pharaoh’s daughter could just be political and sacrificing to the high places may  be the norm that time, but how could he not see that it is far from the pleasure of his Beloved?  Where was that promise of doing and giving and being everything for Him? Quite sad that we only remember him now as the Wise. Without love, isn’t everything meaningless?

When was the last time you felt so inloved with the Lord? And now? Has it been years or months? What stood in between? Are you really that busy with work that you completely forgot your ‘dates’ with Him? Did you found someone better? You sure? Did He love you less? Impossible. Try to go back to that time you first promised love to Him. Think about Him. What were His words to you? What did He do just for you? And what did you promise back? We’ve been carrying His name everyday - - saying we’re Christians and all - - but how many times we preferred to be called  Dr., Atty., Prof., Sir, Mrs., etc? Even the wisest who ever lived said such were vain efforts, and so he ended Ecclesiastes with these words: ‘Fear God and keep his commands’. Uhm, where is love there? Jesus gave us the answer: ‘If you love me, obey my commands’. Ready to go back to your first love? If you’re having a hard time remembering when was your special time with Him - -  look at the cross! That’s how special you are to Him!