1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're so glad 2 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: to have you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle, and today's topic 3 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: is finding true Love this Valentine's Day. We'll be right 4 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: back after a brief message from our sponsor. Finding True 5 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: Love This Valentine's Day, Written and read by Lynette Kittle. 6 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: We love because He first loved us first John four nineteen. 7 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: Romantic love seems to be the love that lasts the 8 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: shortest for millions, yet it's the prime focus in most 9 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: people's lives. Vicly surrounding Valentine's Day aim towards couples and 10 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: individuals who want to become a couple. Yet as wonderful 11 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: as romantic love can seem, at times, it doesn't have 12 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: the power to satisfy our hearts. Unlike the countless Hallmark 13 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: movies seem to indicate as seemingly the number one goal 14 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: of millions of people in the world to find romantic love, 15 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: it acts to deter and distract countless people from loving 16 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: God the most. Sadly, many people believe it is the 17 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: ultimate love and that without it they can't live, and 18 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: why they go to such extremes to find and possess it. 19 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: Although as Christians we honor and cherish the love relationship 20 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: between husband and wives initiated by God, even for us 21 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: sometimes the love for Him often takes a back seat 22 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: to having the forefront of our attention. But as we know, 23 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: when it comes to love, as Christians, our number one 24 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: goal and priority is to love God above all others, 25 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: as Matthew twenty two thirty seven explains as the greatest commandment. 26 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: Jesus replied, love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, 27 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 28 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: God calls us to love him most, which is difficult 29 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: for many to accept, and they have a tendency to 30 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: overlook his words in Matthew ten thirty seven, saying, anyone 31 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: who loves their father or mother more than me is 32 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: not worthy of me. Anyone who loves their son or 33 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Still, 34 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: many of us put him on the back burner, thinking 35 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: he's okay with our preoccupation with us their loves, including 36 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: loving the world. But first John two fifteen explains what 37 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: loving the world more than God exposes in us. Do 38 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: not love the world or anything in the world. If 39 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: anyone loves the world. Love for the Father is not 40 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: in them. Still, the call from God's heart, when we 41 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: find ourselves far from him is found in Joel two thirteen. 42 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the 43 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow 44 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: to anger, and abounding in love, and he relents from 45 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: sending calamity. God calls us in Joel two twelve to 46 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: return to him even now, declares the Lord, return to 47 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. 48 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: Some may remember the nineteen seventies line from the classic 49 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: film Love Story that storm the name and became a 50 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: trendy cliche. But the problem is that it's so untrue. 51 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: Teaching our culture that love means never having to say 52 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: you're sorry. Sadly, an unrepentant world jumped at the chance 53 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: to embrace it, including not saying sorry to God for 54 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: their sins, But it couldn't be further from the truth. 55 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: Never saying we're sorry restricts true love, hardening us at 56 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: the core, But saying it helps to keep our hearts 57 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: tender towards God and each other. Repentance keeps our hearts 58 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,679 Speaker 1: softened towards God, as Tewod Corinthians seven ten describes, Godly 59 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, 60 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: but worldly sorrow brings death. Love is God's trademark. He's 61 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: the only source of true love and the only reason 62 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: we are able to read each out and love others, 63 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: as First John four sixteen describes, And so we know 64 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,559 Speaker 1: and rely on the love God has for us. God 65 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and 66 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: God in them. Without Him loving us first, we would 67 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: be loveless in our relationships with others because we can't 68 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: stir true love up based on our own strengths and thinking. 69 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: When we do, as Matthew twenty two twenty seven commands, 70 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, 71 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: true love grows within us and spills out to those 72 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: around us. As First Peter four eight encourages, above all, 73 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude 74 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: of sins, intersecting faith and life. What is your focus 75 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: this Valentine's Day? Are you reaching out to God and 76 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: his love or sidetracked by romantic love? This year? Ask 77 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: God to help you treasure and cultivate your love for 78 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: Him above all others, further reading a Valentine's Day prayer 79 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: to cultivate a tender heart towards God. The Crosswalk Devotional 80 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If 81 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: you liked what you heard today, please take a second 82 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: to rate and review this podcast in your favorite podcast 83 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: app so that more listeners like you can find the show. 84 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 85 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: dot com.