The Allure of Love Songs

It’s just a few days until Valentine’s Day so it's time to get your love songs play list ready to go! When my then-boyfriend (later, my husband) and I were dating, we had a favorite "puppy love" song, Bobby Vee's "My Venus in Blue Jeans" -- LOL! As we continued dating, we crooned over "Hey Paula, I Wanna' Marry You" and then being avid musical theater fans, our song was The Music Man's "Till There Was You". My brother, with his exquisite baritone voice, sang that one at our wedding. In later years, Kenny Rogers (RIP), with his amazing vibrato voice, put to lyrics and music what we felt about each other. We swooned over "Lady", "She Believes in Me", and our absolute favorite was "Through the Years". I've been known to tear up if I hear it randomly playing over a sound system somewhere! Aw! Bring on the romance with candlelight and love songs playing in the background. To love and be loved is life's sweetest treasure. I knew that love and that treasure. But even more than earthly love, the most beloved relationship we could ever hope to experience is our relationship with God. That love grows exponentially when we discover the beautiful romance we have with Him. He yearns for us to share a life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure with Him. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says “I have loved you with an everlasting love." God made the whole world for romance — the rivers, meadows, mountains, beaches, flowers, music, a kiss, a sunrise, a sunset, a touch. But, where’s the romance when we let that relationship slide and we lose ourselves in work, stress, concern and worry? That’s with our relationship between our earthly love AND with our love for the Lover of our souls. “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!” Exodus 20:5. WOW! God is jealous for our romance. When we put so much of life's stuff ahead of Him, we are sharing our affection with other gods. He longs for us to be tender and inviting, intimate and fiercely devoted to Him. Oh yes, our God has a passionate, romantic heart for us. There is no "earthly" love to compare. He knows our thoughts and our deepest desires. Oh, how He loves you and me. I think He must be cranking up the love songs for us right now! God's love for us is immeasurable, unfathomable and it transcends our human understanding. It's time for romance and love songs. Shhh! I'm singing love songs to Him right now. “I love you Lord and I lift my voice to worship You, oh my soul, rejoice! Take joy my King, in what You hear. Let me be a sweet, sweet sound in your ears.” Psalms 59:16: “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For You have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.” And He is singing to you and me: Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God among you is powerful -- He will save, and He will take joyful delight in you. In His love He will renew you with His love; He will celebrate you with singing.”