Blessed Foolishness

I will espouse you to Me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy. I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord (Hos. 2:21-22).

Today is Valentine’s Day, and each time I’ve walked through the lobby, I’ve noticed yet another bouquet of flowers that has been delivered for some fortunate and much loved person. I am the happy recipient of one of those bouquets. We make a big deal about Valentine’s Day here in the States. I think it’s probably outdone only by Mother’s Day. It’s right and proper that we should have such outward expressions of our love for those special people in our lives. But it begs the question if we each do that for the One who is our Ultimate Love.

God’s love isn’t a once or twice-a-year proposition. His love for His people is expressed in the Scriptures using the metaphor of marriage for a reason – that bond is eternal and unbreakable. King David understood that love, and he was unabashed in his expression of love for Yahweh. David came dancing before the Lord with abandon, as he and all the Israelites were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn (2 Sam:6:14). He also understood that his relationship with God was not something to be done once in a while, or only when he felt like it. He extolled God’s greatness in the good times: Every day I will bless You; I will praise Your Name forever (Ps. 145:2) and in the bad times: O God, whom I praise, do not be silent, for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me (Ps. 109:1).

It can be tempting to hide our love for God, especially in business settings, or around friends and relatives for whom faith is not a priority. Such people find our faith foolish, a waste of time. Yet, the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Cor. 1:25).

Teenagers often make fools of themselves when they are trying to get the attention of someone to whom their attracted. I remember when my son was first smitten by a young lady. He spent hours in front of the mirror (amazing since he had never been much concerned about appearance!), changed clothes a hundred times before a date, and ran up the phone bill trying to express his feelings for someone he cared about.

Every day, God shows us how much He loves us. Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen snow-covered mountains, rainbows and beautiful sunsets. Trees along many of the parkways are starting to blossom. There is a definite hint of spring in the air. Some would say that God is a fool for bothering with people who so often turn their backs on Him. Yet, because of His great love for us, He persists in His “foolishness.” Are we willing to similarly be “fools” for Him?

Prayer Request: That we will be bold in showing our love for the Lord.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, forgive us for those times when we shy away and avoid acknowledging our love for You. Bless us with greater faith and boldness to proclaim You with the same courage and abandon that King David and Paul did, that we might be blessed fools for You. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.