The Love Letter

Psalm 119:72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Several years ago, Scott started writing his girls letters on various special occasions throughout the year. The first letter he wrote me is framed and hangs in our bedroom. His theme for that initial letter was our first kiss. That kiss is burned on his memory because it was at that moment he knew that God had intervened in his life and brought him the love of his life.

Now my husband is not perfect. Believe it or not, there are even times he irritates me or worse, makes me angry. However, his letter to me hangs as a constant reminder of his great love for me. All I have to do is remember some of its' words and anger, frustration and irritation are washed out of my heart.

This morning's reading is Romans 3. This great chapter contains the words "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Verse 23). As I began to read, I expected to be reminded of Jesus sacrifice for my sin and how thankful I am that God made a way for me to fellowship with Him. Instead, I am drawn like a moth to a flame to the second half of Verse 2. "They have been entrusted with the very words of God."

I sometimes forget that God wrote this love letter directly for and to me. His love is so vast that it required 1,800 pages to contain all His words. He has entrusted me with the very words of God. What have I done with His love letter? Do I treat it like:

1. An Old Treasure Tucked Away in a Drawer - Occasionally you hear of a family stumbling across the love letters exchanged by their grandparents tucked away in the attic or stuffed in the back of the drawer. These letters usually appear untouched and unread for decades. They may have been read frequently at one time but that day has long since passed. Sometimes we treat God's Word like that. We tuck it away on a shelf or in a drawer and forget about the life-changing power of His love letter.
2. Fond Memories I Keep Close at Hand - I rarely take the time to just sit and read Scott's letter to me. Its' reading is usually prompted by a bad moment in our marriage or maybe just a sour mood. I know that it is there and I do use it as a resource when I'm struggling but that's really the only time I intentionally read it. God's Word can also be treated that way. We can treat it more like a manual for handling life's crises rather than the instructions for each day.
3. Words That Fuel My Love and Passion - Do you remember that first love letter you received maybe in junior high or high school? You read it over and over until you virtually had every word memorized, right? You would repeat various sentences with different inflections, trying to pinpoint that exact meaning of each word and phrase. God's love letter is just as exciting. When I read it every day, my passion for God and love for others is ignited. The best part about God's Word is that I can memorize it and carry it around in my heart wherever I go. It serves as a secret store of joy and peace in the midst of any circumstance or situation.

Jesus, thank you for entrusting me with the very words of God. May I not treat Your love letter as something passe or only relevant during a trial but the living and active letter it is that has the power to transform my life today and every day. Thank you for taking the time over thousands of years to record Your great love for me. I treasure Your words. I carry them in my heart.