Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Young Love, Young Letdown - #6357

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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On our list of holidays that we all celebrate each year, I have a sneaking suspicion there might be one of them at least that was invented possibly by greeting card companies and florists. It's called Valentine's Day! Man, the valentines are flying. Of course our grandchildren when it was Valentine's Day...they were doing their part at school. Florists freak out and then they count their shekels the next day. And, of course, I even did my part by helping some struggling greeting card company. I had to; of course, get one for the woman I love.

And I get to celebrate on that day a lifetime love that God's given me in my amazing wife. But occasionally Valentine's Day gives me a flashback of a not-so-happy romantic memory; back in the day when I was 13 and sure that I was in love. Right!

Let's call this junior high heartthrob "Cindy." I remember combing the stores on our little town's main street for the perfect gift for Cindy - something to let her know I had feelings for her. Well, I bought the nicest necklace that a few weeks' allowance could afford - a heart-shaped necklace, of course. I wrapped it in this mushy note I'd written, put it in an envelope and then I left it on her desk in study hall.

The next day she passed by my desk and, as my heart beat loud enough to dance to, she silently left an envelope on my desk. There was a brief moment of excited anticipation, followed by one massive letdown. It was the envelope I'd given her...with my note and my necklace inside. Yeah, I was crushed. She had rejected the love gift I'd spent everything on.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Young Love, Young Letdown."

You know, God knows how that feels. He has spent everything on His love gift for you, for me. In the Bible's words, "He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all...God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (Romans 8:32 ; John 3:16 ). You understand how deeply personal that love is when you put your name in what God said there. So for me it goes, "God so loved Ron..." (and you put your name in there). "God so loved _____ that He gave His one and only Son that if ____ will believe in Him, then ____ (there's your name again), will not perish but have eternal life."

God knows the feeling of pouring out His love for us and having us just handed back to Him. "Thanks, God, but no thanks. I'm not interested or I'm not ready." It's not a necklace we're rejecting. It's what the Bible calls "the gift of God (which) is eternal life" (Romans 6:23 ). In short, we're rejecting heaven. Because there's no way to get there except to have every wrong thing we've ever done forgiven. And that took Jesus doing the dying for the sinning we've done. Look what He spent on the gift!

Now, for too many, Valentine's Day and anniversaries are just reminders of how disappointing human love has been. Even a great love fails to fill that gaping hole in our heart. It's just too big for any human to fill. The hole in our heart has Jesus' name on it. In the Bible's words we "were created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16 ). And only He has the un-loseable love that will anchor us and complete us.

It must hurt God a lot to have spent so much and have us care so little. But He's a stubborn lover. He's back again today; He's offering His love to someone who's listening right now.

Respond to His love. Accept the gift that He died to give you. Open your heart and tell Him where you are today, "Dear Jesus, thank you for the price you paid for my sin. Today I give me to You." And I want to encourage you to go to our website if you're at a point of wanting to be sure you belong to Him - YoursForLife.net. You'll find so much help and encouragement there.

This could be the day that you find the Love that you've been looking for all your life!