O LOVE OF GOD

HEY WORLD!!!!
What's up? Well, life, as usual. It's funny to see the little blessings that God throws our way sometimes, especially when your days (I'm not just referring to one single day) have been hard.
This past weekend I was reminded by God that He loves me. That's it. Nothing more than that. He loves me, He means it. This weekend I had the utmost privilege to sing at a church in Calgary as a part of the singing group called "sojourn". On sunday we sang at a Korean church, and were blessed to minster and be ministered to by the people there. During the performance, we sang our usual regime of melodies. But this time was a little different. This time, God really struck me with the words of the songs, especially the song "I will glory in my Redeemer". I remember words like "(Jesus) waits for me at gates of gold...(Jesus) carries me on eagles wings..." Good stuff. God was stirring my heart during this song, and not only mine but a few others in the group.
Three members of the group performed a drama that I will never forget. It was entitled "The Divine Romance", and included a very powerful soundtrack from "Robin Hood" and "Phantom of the Opera". In the skit, God the creator creates the world and a woman. He creates the woman and shows her all the wonder he has made. He proclaims his commitment to her symbolicly by giving her a ring (in proposal-like fashion). However, the woman, being human, becomes enticed by the weight of sin (symbolized by a chain) offered to her by the devil. She chucks the ring and takes hold of sin, which causes her to collapse and become bound by the devil. God returns to the scene to begin working on a way to save his beloved. He constructs the cross. The devil returns to duel with the Lord, and nails Him to the cross. Just when the devil thinks that he has won, the Lord rises, removes the chain from the one He loves, and disposes it ("as far as the east is from the west"...I suppose). The devil becomes furious. He takes hold of the woman, and begins to drag her back to the chain (sin). But the woman flees from her captor and clings to the feet of the Lord. And, with one move of his hand, the Lord defeats the devil.
The conclusion of the story is what really got to me. Following the defeat of the villain, the Lord once again takes his love and bows down before her (in proposal-like fashion, yet again). He picks up the ring he had given the woman, dusts it off, and places it on her finger.
I don't know what you'd think if you saw this play, but I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure whether I should cry out of guilt for the ways which I have turned from my Lord, or grin from ear to ear at the thought that evil has been defeated and....He loves me.
Whatever the reaction. I was filled with this great realization that God loves me. He pursues me. He's committed to me. He has died for me. I am that beloved. I am that bride.
In some ways, being a guy, I don't think that we get it as much. So often, guys dream of being the hero, the tough guy, and the winner. Sorry, guys, but I think that in this case, we need to be saved. Jesus is our hero. We need to recognize what has been done for us.
I can't believe it. He loves me. When I saw that and heard God speaking to me, deep in the depths of my heart I had this warmth. This freedom. All of a sudden, things that I worried about, things that I wanted to be and desired to do faded away, and I was struck with this reality that my God loves me. That's all I need. "What in this life could mean any more?" (Starfield's "Cry in my heart"). I have Jesus. I felt content. I felt more than satisfied. I felt loved.
You know, its the same for all of us who trust in Jesus as their savior.
Hang in there, sportsfans. He loves you.

josh d.