pramsay posted on October 14, 2008 07:07 1953 views

“I Love You!”

Sometimes we take special relationships for granted. We want to tell them what we think but we find it awkward putting it into words or we think we should wait for a more appropriate occasion. “They might think it strange if out of the blue I told them how I really felt towards them. Maybe I should wait for another time.”

It’s a sad thing when someone says: “If only I had told her again that I loved her. I never thought when I was saying goodbye to her that morning that it would be the last time.”

On another note, when have you last told the Lord you loved Him? Beyond all the formalities of our ‘official’ prayers, when have you last breathed out in His ears: I love you, Lord?” Often we can pray with many words and have the syntax down just perfect but….ummm, is that what prayer is all about? When have you last had a real heart-to-heart communication with the Lord?

David’s Psalm 18 is a long one. He recites in the Lord’s presence how desperate his situations often were and how the Lord repeatedly displayed His might and power by delivering him. Maybe the Psalm was written towards the end of his life as he reflected on all the challenges, trials and dangers out of which the Lord delivered him. Did he start off the Psalm with “I love you, Lord” or did he write down all the displays of the Lord’s compassion and power in his life and then insert at the top, over the entire Psalm – “I love you, Lord?”

For the choir director.

A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD

the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him

from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

And he said,

“I love You, O LORD,

my strength.”

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

(Psalm 18:1-2 NASB)

The word for ‘love’ is not the usual word for ‘love’ used in the Old Testament. The ‘love’ word that King David used was one of intimacy – loving tenderly, deeply and fondly. In fact, it is usually reserved for the Lord’s love towards us – not us toward Him.

Can you imagine how precious David’s ‘I love You’ was to the Lord? Reverberating from this rebel planet is a cacophony of blasphemies, oaths and curses, lies, slander, hateful words and selfish words. 24/7 around the clock from every continent and from every language and dialect there ascends to the ear of God the rebel rantings of sinners. Can you imagine how precious it is each time the Lord hears your beautiful note of worship, adoration and love breaking through all the clamoring noises and clattering racket of earth?

If you study this Psalm carefully you will see that beyond David’s experience, the Psalm looks forward to Christ Himself – all His intense sufferings and how the Lord ultimately caused Him to triumph in resurrection and beyond. Jesus Himself spoke unabashedly about His love for His Father: “But that the world may know that I love the Father…” John 14:31

If you haven’t already told the Lord today that you love Him – pause right now and tell Him and if you have time, tell Him why.

If you have 3 minutes listen below to the song of love penned by Laurie Klein, a young mother in her mobile home one morning when times were very tough. They were poor, alone and she felt so empty that morning she thought she had nothing to offer to the Lord. Then she offered Him her words of love and it turned into a poem/song. How precious it must have been to HIM to hear her words ascending from that trailer in Oregon in 1974. That’s the story behind the song: “I Love You, Lord.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6QE2k1FepQ

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay

peter@heaven4sure.com

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