Meditation for Monday
And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5
A friend who had visited the garlic growing region of France was amazed at how everybody there smelled so strongly of garlic. This was no wonder, because every meal they ate included garlic. They ate so much of it with just about everything that the odour was everywhere. Their houses, their clothes, their cars, and everything else, smelled of garlic. The smell had become so all-pervasive that nobody noticed it, and were surprised when my friend mentioned it. Despite its strong odour, garlic is good for you, even if you saturate yourself with it like those folks in France. But it is nowhere near as powerful as the love with which the Holy Spirit saturates our hearts.
The meaning of the words ‘shed abroad’ is roughly equivalent to being poured full to overflowing. That is a good picture of what the Love of God is like in our hearts. God did not simply love us, He also poured His love into us so that we can love Him in return, and we can love others as God loves them. The love that propels Christians to serve our Lord and to live victoriously for Him is not a natural, human love; it is so much higher and purer and more powerful.
This wonderful love becomes our inspiration for all that we do and think. It is our guiding light in this dark and miserable world. It is the power behind all of our service for our Lord. It provides us with the patience that allows us to endure in times of trial and persecution. It provides us with the energy to toil and struggle beyond human capacity in service for our King.
Our text speaks about not being ashamed, because of the hope that the Love of God supplies. The more we allow that love to flood our hearts and overflow in our lives, the less we will struggle with the fear of man. We are prone to struggle and fail in our witness. But if we permit ourselves to be guided and directed by the love of God, we will have less concern about what others think, and more interest in how to be faithful to those around us. We will be more service and Gospel minded, and be much happier in our lives.
The power behind the love of God does not lie within us, it is supplied by the Holy Spirit. He just needs our permission to let the love overflow. -Jim MacIntosh