Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Love Speaks - Extravagant Love





Mourning had become her constant companion. Her husband had died and all she had left were her sons and debt.  Debt so extravagant that the creditor had notified her he was coming to get her sons.  Hopelessness and desperation were her first reactions.  What was she to do without her husband and soon without her sons?

In the midst of all this, she remembered what her husband had told her about God.  He told her God was just and fair.  He cared about all His children and was a very present help to those in need.  Her husband even told her God was on her side and would not let evil come near her.

With all the strength in her bones and conviction in her heart, she cried out to Elisha, the man of God her husband had served very well.  She reminded Elisha how her husband had been faithful to God and how he revered God.  Through her tears and frustration, she told Elisha the creditor was coming to take the most precious things she had on earth, her sons. 

The love of God spoke through Elisha, “What do you have in your house?” This nameless, broken, frustrated woman only had a pot of oil in her house.  Growing sons, debt, needs, and all she had to live on was a pot of oil.  She needed so much more than to pay the debt.  She was in the perfect place for an extravagant love miracle.

This time she had to stand on the faith her dead husband was committed to. This time she had to trust the man of God her husband trusted and served.  The spotlight from heaven was on her and what she did in the next few minutes could change her life forever.

Whether it was her desperation that motivated her to follow the words of Elisha, or her enduring hope, scripture does not tell us.  However, it does tell us she followed the instructions, and as she poured the oil in each borrowed vessel the little oil she had continued to flow.  As it flowed into the first pot, the burden of desperation began to lift.  The oil kept flowing and depression, mourning, bitterness and the feelings of being destitute kept lifting.  The more the oil flowed the more her joy was restored, life was restored, and hope was restored.  Only when the pots were all filled did the oil stop flowing.

Extravagant love begins small just as the oil began in one pot.  As you allow God to pour you out to the world, He created you to be the light in, the oil will flow from person to person, city to city, nation to nation.  The oil of love will continue to flow until it reaches the last person on earth.  Love never fails.

Wars fail. Fighting fails. Bitterness fails. Control and manipulation fail.  They fail to bring peace.  They fail to end hunger.  They fail to return husbands and wives back to the family.  They fail to deliver the oppressed.  They fail to restore the joy to a sinful soul.  They fail to fill the earth with morality.  They fail.

Most importantly, extravagant love of the Father poured out to His children never fails. It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley.  The extravagant love of Jesus poured from His words. It poured from His silence. It poured from His torture and death.  His extravagant love for us poured out in victory at His ascension into the heavens where He left the Holy Spirit to continue to pour His extravagant love in us.

Love speaks extravagantly when the Holy Spirit lives in the children of God.

This challenge to love as Christ loves cannot be done in your own strength.  It is only available to those who choose to allow the Holy Spirit to love through their mouth through the words they speak.  He can love through your hands in the deeds you do.  He can love through your mind in the thoughts you think toward others.  His love speaks.  The question is, “Will you let His love speak through you?”

Love speaks extravagantly over all things that God can use for His glory.

13 Day Love Challenge

Day 13


Make a list of all the people you can show love to and set a 
calendar reminder each month to show love.