As Long As You Love Me

Arise and Shine for the glory of the Lord has risen among you!  Isaiah 60:1

Day four of 21. It's a very low-key day.  I'm just pondering and reflecting a lot in my mind.  Tears; as I reflect my life and choices.  I stand by my belief that the Lord has guided me in the portion of my life I have served him and loved him with all of my heart, my soul, and my mind.  I have to know and trust that I am exactly where I am today because He has always been for me and not against me.

I was gonna go to the gym today and take a spin class...I just needed a day to reflect; to ponder and ask the Lord to speak to my heart.  Spinning class...my thoughts are spinning.  My heart; walking away from the familiar path it has known.  I feel a dirge in my spirit...I sit at the piano...I play and cry.  I pray; tears fall...There is a deep lament in my heart; full of things I want to say that will fall upon deaf ears.  There are words I want to sing as I play but to whom would listen.  I need to sing what is holding my heart hostage...the words come out; a release.  Tears sting my cheeks...

Jeremiah 2:7-9 "I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness.  But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination.  The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?'  And those who handle the law did not know Me:  The rulers also transgressed against Me: The prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.  "Therefore, I will yet bring charges against you," says the Lord, "And against your children's children.  I will bring charges."

Jeremiah 2:25 But you said, 'There is no hope.  No!  For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.'

Jeremiah 3:1-"They say, 'If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man's, May he return to her again?  Would not that land be greatly polluted?  But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me," says the Lord.

Jeremiah 3:7- "And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. 

Jeremiah 3:14-16 - "Return, O backsliding children," says the Lord; "for I am married to you.  I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.  "And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.  "Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days," says the Lord, "that they will say, NO MORE, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.'  It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

I began writing a song of lament from these Scripture references.  We are the Bride of Christ, yet we continually commit adultery on him.  We continually turn to other lovers.  We continually remain unrepentant and sinful in all of our ways.  He longs for His bride to desire him as her first love.  He continually loves and forgives her transgressions over and over, in spite of.  Why, O Israel do you refuse to turn away from your lusts and desires?

Jeremiah 2:11-13 - 'But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit.  Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate," says the Lord, "For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Yet, the Lover of our Souls, continually asks us to Return...Return...Return to Me!  Mercy, Grace, Mercy, Grace, unconditional love, undeserving forgiveness, unmerited favor.  The Lord is slow to anger...He's compassionate and gracious.  He is in love with His bride...

This was a Spiritual Spinning Class.  This spiritual spinning class trumped the physical one today.  In the song I wrote, part of the lyrics read:

I remember you, in the kindness of your youth.
Will you return to me?  I was your first love.

I will remember you, the Love of your betrothal.
You chased after me in the wilderness.
Will you return to me?  I was your first love.

Of course, I didn't finish the song, but the heaviness in my heart lifted.  I felt a release.  I was able to walk away and KNOW the Lord kissed away my pain.  He KNOWS our same pain.  He personally experienced continual rejection and abandonment.  He gathers our tears.  He counts them and records them.  He draws us close and touches the pain.  He Loves us so much more than we could ever hope or imagine.

I began hearing another song playing in my mind. Mind you, five years ago, both my daughters and my niece were personally escorted by me to Allentown to see Justin Bieber in concert.  I don't listen to secular music...So, I KNOW the Lord was making a point of Justin Bieber's song, "As Long as You love me."

I heard the Lord say, "As long as you love me, I will be your FIRST love. As long as you love Me.  I will NEVER leave you, nor FORSAKE you.  As long as you love me." I will be here for you. As long as you love me!!!  We are God's treasure; as God desires us to make him our treasure!  God is our gold, he is our silver.  He is our inheritance; our reward. 

Here I leave you with the lyrics of that song.

As Long as You Love Me

By Justin Bieber, Big Sean

As long as you love me (love me, love me)
As long as you love me (love me, love me)
As long as you love me

We're under pressure,
Seven billion people in the world trying to fit in
Keep it together,
Smile on your face even though your heart is frowning
But hey now, you know girl,
We both know it's a cruel world
But I will take my chances

As long as you love me
We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke
As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
As long as you love, love me, love me
As long as you love, love me, love me

I'll be your soldier, fighting every second of the day for your dreams girl
I'll be your Hova, you can be my Destiny's Child on a scene girl
So don't stress, don't cry, we don't need no wings to fly
Just take my hand

As you love me we could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke
As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
As long as you love, love me, love me
As long as you love, love me,

I don't know if this makes sense, but you're my hallelujah
Give me a time and place, and I'll rendezvous, and I'll fly you to it,
I'll beat ya there
Girl you know I got you
Us, trust
A couple of things I can't spell without you
Now we are on top of the world, 'cause that's just how we do
Used to tell me sky's the limit, now the sky's our point of view
Man now we stepping out like whoa (oh God)
Camera's point and shoot,
Ask me what's my best side, I stand back and point at you, you
You the one that I argue with, I feel like I need a new girl to be bothered,
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side,
It's green where you water it
So I know we got issues baby true true true
But I'd rather work on this with you
Than to go ahead and start with someone new
As long as you love me

As you love me we could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke
As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
As long as you love, love me,
As long as you love, love me

As long as you love me
I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold
Love me,
As long as you love, love me,
Please don't go (love me, love me)
Please don't go (love me, love me)
As long as you love, (love me, love me)
As long as you love, (love me, love me)
As long as you love me