Sustain me with raisins,
refresh me with apples;
for I am faint with love.
O that his left hand were under my head,
and that his right hand embraced me!
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the wild does:
do not stir up or awaken love
until it is ready! ~ Song of Solomon 2:5-7
If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world, merely making a noise as we go. ~ William Wilberforce
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
As much as love is a verb, it is also a feeling that can completely overwhelm us.
It is the guiding force that pushes us on toward acts of love.
It is the thing that makes us want to throw our arms around the world.
It is the love that poets know all about.
We have a God who knew that it was difficult to feel a deep passionate love for something we could not see.
So we were gifted with Jesus who could give us a tangible way to feel God's love and love God in return.
But time and distance often make Jesus become a fleeting object of love as well.
Does it feel difficult for you to feel passionate love for God?
Or is it easy?
If it is easy, what makes it easy?
It if is hard, what makes it hard?
We are still gifted with a way to feel passion for God. Look around. The people near you: the family, the friends, the neighbors, the strangers - can you find a way to feel that passion for them?
That passion is one our God has for us. We are the beloved.
Knowing that passionate love can shine a light into our lives. Reach in and see if that light illuminates your heart to love deeply and fully.
Passionate God, stir in my heart a love that makes me want to throw my arms around your world. Amen