If you are buying something special for a loved one, most of us would keep in mind what the person loved and then buy an appropriate gift. I have a beard and often would get aftershave for Christmas from friends, back in the day. Yes, its the thought that counts, but the choice of gift would show whether you really cared about what I needed. Husbands who love their wives wouldn’t give them a fishing rod or a vacuum cleaner for their birthday present. If the wife loved jewellery that’s what you would give them and not just any trinket.
Did you know that there are things that God loves and He’d like us to find out what they are?
In the world of men, there are many things that are highly prized. We see on television the extraordinary lengths people go to too find precious metals like gold, gems or opals. The Chinese pay big money for the ingredients of birds’ nest soup and those addicted to drugs will spend a fortune and waste their lives in the pursuit of meth or cocaine. The reason many things are so expensive is because they are not easy to find or are difficult to make. Opals for instance are not just lying around on the surface but are deep underground and took thousands of years to form.
When we look at God’s creation, we see so many beautiful things and we marvel at sunsets and the countless stars in the heavens. Butterfly wings can look amazing, along with so many intricate flowers. The beauty of a baby are top of the list for most women.
As I said there are things high on God’s favorite’s list, and we Christians need to know what they are in order to really please Him.
Did you know that our love for God pleases Him more than any other beautiful thing He has ever created. In fact our love for Him is more valuable than anything else in all this vast universe. Our love for Him thrills His heart and He values it more than any other pleasure there is and measures its value by our sincerity.
You may say, what about Angels? Aren’t they more purer and holier than us? Wouldn’t their love of God be far more perfect than ours?
The difference between us and Angels is that these heavenly being have always lived in God’s presence and they know nothing else but the passion of His love. Its a no brainer for them and they don’t have to make a choice to love Him like we do. He loves the worship of His Angels but there is something amazing about those who make that choice to love Him - regardless. We live in a fallen world and are quite blind to spiritual realities. God has given us His word that tells us all the truths about Himself and His Heavenly realms. He says that blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Blessed are those who believe that God is all He says He is and love and worship Him accordingly.
I’m sure the Angels were amazed when Job fell down and worshipped God in the midst of His great loss. He had nothing to show of God’s existence or His love, except his own personal belief in who God was. Angels must have been awe struck by such an act of love, for they live in His presence all the time and know that He is so wonderful, but Job had nothing to go by – yet he still loved God.
There is something special about someone choosing to love you for who you are and not for what they can get out of you. We see this in some of the Bible characters. Ruth loved Naomi because of who she was and because of the God she served, and not for what she could get out of Naomi. Sometimes we are convicted because we realise that we love God for what we can get out of Him instead of for who He is. Ruth showed this kind of love towards Naomi. She wanted to stay with Naomi and it wasn’t just to get something out of her.
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.” Ruth 1:15-18
We also see this type of love for God in the life of Moses. Moses chose to serve God even though it was hard to do and not stay in the luxuries of Egypt.
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” Hebrew 11:24-27
God could have created you and me to love Him only, but He wanted you to choose to do so. Your love for Him is something you have to choose to do; it’s something that you create. God cannot and will not do it for you as He has given you the freedom of choice. He gives you the seed and it’s up to you to plant and cultivate it in your heart. It’s like an orchid, it’s very hard to grow and needs exactly the right conditions. Orchards don’t like competition either and can be easily killed off. Our God is a jealous Lover.
We need to realise that this devotion we have for Him is more beautiful than anything else He has ever created. Its something God can’t create, only we can as creatures of free choice can do that. Our love is more beautiful than a butterfly, a new born baby, a sunset, a beautiful woman, flowers or planets.
Our love may seem so imperfect and insignificant to us but in the eyes of God its delightful. Of course it can be worked on by us to become even a more beautiful and become an even a better sacrifice. To love Him when things are not going well, or when all sense of His presence has gone are even more precious to Him.
Can you imagine a Master Artist who had an only son that he loved very much, doing a finger painting for his dad as a 3-year-old? It was the best he could do and came from the child’s heart. What would be the more precious to that dad? His painting worth thousands of $$ or the picture painted by his beloved son?
This love we have for Him is very valuable in His eyes. More valuable than anything else in the world or the universe for that matter. What’s the most valuable thing you can think of in the world? Gold, diamonds, paintings, treasure in the ocean or the riches of Tutankhamun’s tomb? In the eyes of God nothing compares to the love a Christian has towards Him, no matter how feeble. He measures it by its sincerity and not by its strength.
We often sing songs to God about how much we love Him. “More than anything else,” but we know deep in our hearts that is not true. There is always room for improvement.
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 73:25
We sing this song from Psalm 73:25, that there is nothing we desire on earth more than God. David said this and I believe He really meant it. David was a rich man but he loved God more than all His riches.
Abraham loved God too more than his only begotten son and was willing to sacrifice Him on an altar. He could say that there was nothing on earth He desired more than the Lord’s will. That sort of love is beyond our comprehension. God loves us all and values all of His children, but He wants us to be even more beautiful by casting aside all our idols and loving Him unconditionally. More than anything else. I love that song by Hillsong called. “I love you more than Life.” We need to come to the place where we can say that we love Him more than our own life. Amen.
Have you seen the Antiques Road Show and been envious of those who have found a valuable antique in their attic and brought it along to have it valued at the show, and found that it was worth thousands of dollars. They had this treasure in their possession all that time and never knew its worth. We can be like that too. We have something that God loves and wants from us but we don’t see how valuable it is to Him. Because we don’t understand the value of God and the value of our love for Him we end up withholding it or giving our love to the world.
Your devotion pleases Him more than any beautiful thing He’s created. The Song of Songs tells us that our love intoxicates Him and that His love and our love for Him are better than wine. Its more valuable than anything else in the universe. It thrills His heart and He values it more than any other pleasure there is. Your love for Him sparkles brighter than any diamond.
As I sat watching the ocean yesterday, it was sparkling like diamonds in the sunshine. One sparkle looks great but when there are a whole cluster of sparkles its even better. I felt the Lord say that when His people gather together in worship, it sparkles and shines and is so precious to Him. He loves us to shine in love for Him, but how much more beautiful it is when we do it all together.
Let’s give Him our love today. Even a glance from you thrills His heart so lets give Him that which He deserves - Our love.