A Nugget from New Life Network
Scriptures for the Day (August 25, 2016)
We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
One of my favorite love story movies is “Notting Hill” with Julia Roberts (playing Anna Scott, an internationally famous American actress) and Hugh Grant (playing William Thacker, a frumpy British bookstore clerk). I am no different than most men in that I would rather watch an action packed movie but this particular romantic comedy had some lines in it by Julia Roberts, spoken to Hugh Grant, which were real tear jerkers.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Our devotional yesterday was on 1 Corinthians 13 which is known as the “Love Chapter”. That scripture tells us that “love never fails”. When Jesus was asked by lawyers what was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied with the following:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)
The plot of “Notting Hill” involves two of the most improbable people (a famous actress and a nobody bookstore clerk) meeting and falling in love. William Thacker (the bookstore clerk) was struggling with how this relationship could ever work since Anna was so famous. To him, it was one of those “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” type situations so he just tried his best to break it off.
At a critical point in the movie, when Anna was about to walk out the door, she turned and said this famous line to him:
“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
She turned, and walked out the door. That line moves me to tears every time I watch that movie. It should not be surprising to any of us that some of the most powerful spiritual revelations come from non-religious sources such as the creative arts since these gifts originate from our Creator. Movie scripts, song lyrics, various artworks such as paintings and sculptures, are all prime examples. The rock musician Bono of U2 fame once said, “All the best songs are co-written by God, y’know.”
I woke up this morning with the words of Anna on my mind. I don’t even remember the last time I watched this movie. I am however keenly aware of God’s voice, especially early in the morning, so I asked Him what this had to do with anything spiritual. This is what I believe He said to me:
“I am the creator, standing in front of my creation, asking them to love me.”
It is just that simple, and it is just that powerful! I just broke as I told my wife what I felt God had said. This is the love story of all love stories! God loves us, and our personal love for God has great rewards and is the single most powerful answer to any of our questions or problems. God’s sincere desire is for us to succeed in this life. His plans for us are for good and not for evil! (Jeremiah 29:11)
(You can read more about this particular subject in our book entitled “For the Love of God)
