“I love how your heart beats whenever I hold you
I love how you think of me without being told to
I love the way your touch is always heavenly
But darling most of all I love how you love me.”
It’s funny how an old song can come floating back through the folds of your memory without any apparent provocation. I guess it was Valentine’s Day that prompted the melody’s visitation. Bobby Vinton’s version was my favorite.
But if we think about it, we really do love to be loved. We love the tender feeling of being caressed, knowing that someone is thinking about us and cares deeply. We love being special to someone. Love is intoxicatingly wonderful!
But no love can compare with the Love of the Lord. Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love…” John 3:16 “that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” John 15:20 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” No one has a greater love than the Father. His love never fails, never fades and was deep enough to die for us. I love how He loves me – in spite of my sin, failures and struggles.
Yet, God’s love is not a love that leaves us in our sin or where we are. His love also corrects us, disciplines and motivates us to grow and change into all He has designed us to be. Praise God for tough love.
Time and time again in the Old Testament God disciplined the Israelites when they disobeyed and turned back to the idols and evil ways of their culture. But in His love, He always had a plan to bring them back to himself with loving-kindness as they repented and cried out to Him.
In the New Testament in Hebrews 12:5-6 God explains --
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
I can remember my Mother telling me that her discipline to me hurt her just as much as me. As I danced to the swings of the switch I just couldn’t imagine that she was hurting. Wasn’t I the one crying? Wasn’t it my legs that were stinging? Now I understand.
…But God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:10-11)
Just as my Mother’s love disciplined me for my good, so God’s love disciplines us for our good. I have to say I really do believe I’m a more responsible person because of my Mother’s example in life and godliness and because she had tough love.
The Lord is disciplining me now and I love how He loves me. Yes, it is painful but I know that it’s because He loves me that He is faithful to not leave me in my rebellion or sin. He is a loving heavenly Father who so orders the circumstances of my life to crowd me into His will.
If you know the tune sing it along: (YouTube has the Bobby Vinton version)
I love how you love me whenever I’m straying
I love how you prod me, pull me, shake me
I love how You make me
I love the way you tenderly bring me back.
But Father most of all – I love how you love me.
