A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Amazing Love

As we spend Valentine's Day thinking and expressing love-filled thoughts toward our spouses, let's not forget the great love our Lord has given us.

Great Love

The Hebrew word for great in the verse above is gabar. This verb means:

1) to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great
a) (Qal)
1) to be strong, mighty
2) to prevail
b) (Piel) to make strong, strengthen
c) (Hiphil)
1) to confirm, give strength
2) to confirm (a covenant)
d) (Hithpael)
1) to show oneself mighty
2) to act proudly (toward God)

Strong Love

How strongly the Lord loves us. He provides us with a love that is mighty and strong. He confirmed a covenant of love with us through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ in an act of redemptive love and grace. How precious this love is!

Faithful Love

Look at the Hebrew word for the love the Lord has toward us. The Hebrew word toward is 'emeth. This adverb means:

1) firmness, faithfulness, truth
a) sureness, reliability
b) stability, continuance
c) faithfulness, reliableness
d) truth
1) as spoken
2) of testimony and judgment
3) of divine instruction
4) truth as a body of ethical or religious knowledge
5) true doctrine
adv
2) in truth, truly

This is faithful, consistent love. He has spoken His love to us through His Word, through Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. This love is stable and we can rest in the security and truth of it.

Enduring Love

How long will the Lord love us? Until we die? Did He love us before we were born? Indeed! His love endures forever.

The Hebrew word for endure is `owlam. It means:

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
a) ancient time, long time (of past)
b) (of future)
1) for ever, always
2) continuous existence, perpetual
3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

God has loved us in the past, love us now, and will continue to love us forever.

Saturating Love

What a powerful promise to cling to. He will never fall out of love with us.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." ~ 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

Our Father lavishes His love upon us freely. The Hebrew word for lavished is didōmi. It means:

1) to give
2) to give something to someone
a) of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage
1) to bestow a gift
b) to grant, give to one asking, let have
c) to supply, furnish, necessary things
d) to give over, deliver
1) to reach out, extend, present
2) of a writing
3) to give over to one's care, intrust, commit
a) something to be administered
b) to give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed
e) to give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward
f) to furnish, endue
3) to give
a) to cause, profuse, give forth from one's self
1) to give, hand out lots
b) to appoint to an office
c) to cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death and Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them
c) to give one to someone as his own
1) as an object of his saving care
2) to give one to someone, to follow him as a leader and master
3) to give one to someone to care for his interests
4) to give one to someone to whom he already belonged, to return
4) to grant or permit one
a) to commission

Priveleged Love

How precious is the love of the Lord. It is truly a privelege to be called His child. We are daughters (or sons) of the Most High God!

The Hebrew word for called is kaleō. This word means:

1) to call
a) to call aloud, utter in a loud voice
b) to invite
2) to call i.e. to name, by name
a) to give a name to
1) to receive the name of, receive as a name
2) to give some name to one, call his name
b) to be called i.e. to bear a name or title (among men)
c) to salute one by name

He has called us by name and shouts His love to us in so many ways.

Reflection and Praise

As we reflect on the blessings our spouses have given us this day, may we reflect on the love God has for us and the privelege it is to be called His children.

Let's praise the Lord for this love!

"Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." ~ Psalm 106:1 (NIV)

The Hebrew word for praise is halal. It means:

1) to shine
a) (Qal) to shine (fig. of God's favour)
b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light
2) to praise, boast, be boastful
a) (Qal)
1) to be boastful
2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
b) (Piel)
1) to praise
2) to boast, make a boast
c) (Pual)
1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one's boast
e) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool
f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman

Our Father is so worthy of praise! Let's bestow on Him the shining glory due Him and give Him all thanks as we also seek to bring others into the fellowship of Christ, inviting them to experience His Amazing Love.