Kisses -- Sweeter Than Wine

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — for your love is more delightful than wine.” How’s that for a Valentine’s Day opener? Sounds like something out of a romance novel, doesn’t it? It is way more. It is straight from God’s Holy Word, the Song of Solomon 1:2. God intended us to know romance so He showed us love in all dimensions – from Solomon’s wife’s love for her husband to His unrelenting love in giving His own Son’s sacrifice of love for us.

But what happens to that first love and those times of longing for being together and not being able to keep our eyes and our thoughts off of each other? Complacency happens. The fire we had at first becomes a flicker. We've lost our "first love".

Of course, today, I think of my first “puppy” love story. He was all of 13 years old and I was 12. It was a “by telephone” courtship. Eventually, we were strategizing for our first kiss. The only time we saw each other was at the church his dad pastored on an occasional Sunday night. On the phone, he asked, “When can I kiss you?" Me, being shy and senseless of romance in any way gave little input, but he already had a plan of action. “How about after church next Sunday night, behind the church?" Oh, my! I couldn’t sleep or think straight, especially when Sunday night came. After service, we headed outside to the darkness in the back of the church. He took me in his arms, threw me back like an old movie scene and planted a big one on my lips while his breath mint slipped into my mouth as we almost lost our balance. We heard his dad call out for us and, he ran one way around to the front of the church and I ran the other way. We were proud of our inconspicuous scheme. ;-)

That led to many years of loving to kiss, holding hands, and snuggling close – until the day of his graduation to heaven. I know that after many years in a relationship, the fire of first love tends to grow dim. I’d like you to think that our marriage was all marital bliss, but there were many times it faltered. It happens in marriage, and it happens in our relationship with God. In Revelation 2:1-7, John the Apostle wrote to the Ephesian church that had been faithful and hardworking, but he warned them to “remember their first love for God".

In the middle of this Valentine’s Day when love is up front and center, and whether we’re single or married, we are wise to go back to our first loves -- with our spouses AND our first love with Jesus. We can return to those first words of love and affection, service and obedience, amazement and appreciation. Oh, that we would still hunger and thirst again to be in God’s presence like we couldn’t get enough of our sweethearts in the beginning – when we were first in love. We can lose the passion and fervor in our marriages and in the same way, for God. We can accept the status quo and let the fires that once intensely burned, die.

Believe me, now that my sweetheart is up there and not here, I’ve thought about the times I was too busy or preoccupied or uninterested in my husband’s affection. My sweet married friends, don’t lose that first love for each other. Cherish your moments together. Rekindle your first love. Go on dates and remember what it felt like in the beginning. And, the same is true for rekindling our first love and our relationship with God.
May we remember how God went the distance to restore us, redeem our life and for being our forever love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!