His Banner Is Love

Song of Solomon 2:4
He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.

I don't know where you are this morning, emotionally or spiritually.
You may be on top of the world...
Everything going your way.
Sun shining down.....song in your heart....smile on your face....
Or..
You may be spiritually and emotionally at the bottom of a deep dark well, with thoughts of not being able to ever get out.
Sin/addiction will do that to you.
The first thing that addiction does is rob you of your self worth.
It whispers to you how insignificant you are and that you are incapable of loving and being loved.
I hate addiction.

It plays a message over and over in your mind, beating you down further and further until you simply give up and accept the message as being the truth. The funny part in all of this, is that you turn to the very thing that is bringing the accusations against you.....you turn to the addiction to find comfort and relief from the pain. Each time you look to addiction to save you....it only drives you deeper into the pain. Like I said....
I hate addiction.

There is an answer.
The answer has a name.
Jesus.
Yep! You read me right.
Jesus.
He is love personified and carried to the highest level.
He is not the "Church" God...but He is Lord over His Church.
He is not the "religious" God....but rather He is God to be found through relationship.
He lifts up those who are brokenhearted.
He heals those who have been wounded and left for dead by the world.
He is love.
Did you catch that? Let it sink in.
Jesus is love.
I didn't say that Jesus loves...
Or He feels love...
Or He oozes love...
He is love. Jesus created the word to define the emotion and choice of what it means to love.
The word came from his very nature and mind, given to us so that we might understand that His Kingdom is a kingdom built and founded on the call to love.
We're not talking about love as the world sees it.
We are talking about a higher, more pure form of love.
Unconditional love...love without strings...
Love without hoops to jump through.

The verse from Song of Solomon reflects the heart of Jesus.
"HE brought me to his banqueting house...."
There is an invitation given to come and dine and feast with Jesus.
But more than the invitation, is the fact that Jesus came to us and carried us to the feast. He provided that which we could not do for ourselves.
Now the idea of a banqueting house is one that is built for relationship....with a meal as the center piece. Conversation around the table...laughter and good times. This is the heart of heaven....a place of intimate conversation and worship with Almighty God himself.

The identifying mark or flag that defines the banqueting house of God?
You guessed it...
LOVE!
He flies the flag proudly over His kingdom.
He proclaims to all....
Love the Lord God with all you strength, all your heart, all your mind.
Love your neighbor.....
And lastly....
You can only love your neighbor if you love yourself. Which takes us back to the top of this posting where I said that addiction's primary concern is to convince you that you are unlovable. That you have no value or worth to anyone.
Don't you fall for that lie.
Take the invitation to join Jesus at His banqueting house.
Come and stand under His banner....
The banner of love.

God on you....
mb