He Loves Me Not

Psalm 18:1, 2 – “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

But, He’s Mine

This is, most assuredly, the most beautiful declaration one can make to God, “I will love You…” Why did David, the Psalmist, and servant of the Lord, speak these words to the Lord? He spoke them, a song, on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

Yet, he mentioned the word “mine” eight times”. Many say, “mine” in their daily lives. In essence “mine” portends or declares, in a way, a form of egoism when in the context of owning, desiring, or possessing something. There are undesirable overtones when one hears or even reads of such use of the word “mine”. Actually, it’s one of the first learned words of an infant… “mine” with a firm unyielding grasp of any object, when placed into the tiny palm of his tenacious hand.

So, why would the word “mine” in use so often by the Psalmist be contrary in any way to that of the worldly use of it? Well, when one proclaims the word “mine” in reference to the Lord, it is a melodious utterance to the ears of the Lord; perfectly acceptable, and beautiful.

When David said, “I will love you O Lord, my strength….”, it came from the depths of his troubled heart, to his God, his Sovereign Saviour, and joyous that he could call on his Lord as “mine”, in praise and thanks for delivering him from evil. It is comforting to know that the Lord our God can be called on as our personal Saviour.

I Love You, Too

The Apostle Peter, too, in his denial of Jesus three times, answered Jesus when, asked, “Simon Peter, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Yes, Lord You know that I love You.”(John 21:15-17). Interestingly, Peter denied Jesus three times, and three times he made the same beautiful declaration David did, “I love You.” Peter was restored by Jesus with the simple, heart-felt words, “I love You.” Oh, how simple, fundamental, heart-searching can these words be in our daily prayers, and thoughts, “I Love You,” if we, too, could follow the examples of David and Peter.

David and Peter were delivered from certain death by their love for God. How? “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” Here it is… “he has set his love upon Me!” When did you last say. “I love You?” That is to God, not merely your children, parents, spouse, loved one, or friend? But, to God? We like to keep the blessings coming from above; yes, ‘”keep them coming Lord.” The modern churches today teach that, “God loves you” and it stops there, and you will be saved. No effort, no change, but just keep on living as you are.

A Jealous God

But, the Commandments say, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but “showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep My commandments.” (1st and 2nd commandment)(Exodus 20:1-6).

What is religion, then, only the commandments? “We don’t want a sensational religion, but a religion founded on intelligent faith.” (Review and Herald, Apr. 9, 1889). Well, it is many more things, but firstly, the Lord wants us to love him.

How? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deut 6:5). Why? Well, again for many reasons, but, “We love him because He first loved us.” (1John 4:19), and “For God is love.” (1 John 4:8).

Daisy Time

God loves us daily. There is a lovely flower called the daisy, having many names; white daisy, oxeye daisy, English daisy. It is, furthermore, a widely naturalized Eurasian low-growing plant (Chrysanthemumleucanthemum) having flower heads with a yellow center and white or pink rays or petals.

In Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean it is called a Margarita. I’m sure that most of you, as children or young adults, had fun playing the game of pulling the petals, one by one and simultaneously saying, “he loves me, he loves me not” (or she), until the last petal for the final pronouncement. It is only a game of luck or chance, but with God He loves us all the time.

But, daily we can also say that God takes a lovely Margarita to see if we, in fact, love Him, much as He asked Peter, “do you love me?” With this confession, “I love You,” Peter was delivered from a fate much like that of Judas Escariot, who betrayed Jesus.

The moment of being delivered from bondage can be the most beautiful experience in our lives, by witnessing to others, being convinced in your heart that God loves everyone.

A New Prayer

Nightly prayer need not be repetitious and shallow anymore. But, by simply saying, in earnest, “I love You Jesus,” “I love You God,” joy will abound in heaven and the angelic hosts, the Holy Spirit will enter your soul; a new spirit (Ezek 2:2; 36:26). Moreover, God’s majesty and love “preserves all who love Him” (Psalm 146:20). What love! What a promise!

That’s Reasonable

God, indeed, gives us an abundance of love, unfathomable love, but wants us to love Him also in return, saying, “Come now, and let us reason together, Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool, If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword.”(Isaiah 1:18-20).

Perfect Love Formula

This divine love supercedes any known imaginable love on earth. When Jesus was on this earth at the foot-washing of the disciples, the Apostle John writes, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”(John 13:1) And, “for the Father Himself loves you because you have loved me.”(John 16:27). When Jesus prayed for all believers in His famous prayer to His Father, he prayed, “I in them, and You in me that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “(John 17:23). Here is perfection, if we accept Jesus Christ, the very same Father that loved Jesus loves us! Jesus prayed further, “That the very same love with which You loved Me may be in them and I in them.”(John 16:26).

Finally, Jesus said, “This is mycommandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.”(John 15:12), “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”(1 Cor. 13:13)

In view of all of these beautiful revelations, and truths, wouldn’t it prompt us to ?approach God and say, “I love You” – “I will love You?”

Daisies or Margaritas are delicate flowers and a feast to our eyes. For some they are a favorite pastime in a game of chance or luck. Although seemingly insignificant, brute force can crush them, as any plants. Yet, the daisies or plants rise again through concrete and asphalt. The Pyramids will not last a moment compared with the daisy. God, the Creator looks upon these daisies, with the same love as a lily or sparrow. Daily he sees the face of the daisy to see if we love Him. It’s always daisy-time. He Loves Me – He Loves Me Not.
Amen.

John Theodorou, U.S.A.