STUDENT OF LOVE
I know a man named James Bailey, from Marks, Mississippi, who was one of my former deacons. James Bailey was a grown man when he became a Christian. He had only gone to school through the 4th grade and never learned to read when he was in school. James Bailey was a hard man and he was a proud man, but when he became a Christian he had his wife and sons teach him to read so he could read his Bible.
In this day when we have the Bible on cassette, on CD, and on the Internet; where you can have it read to you, dramatized, or acted out, there are people who have never been curious enough or concerned enough to check it out. There are many people sitting in our churches who have checked it out for themselves. For many, it’s like Mien Kempt in the days of Hitler: It’s a book you need to have but it’s not necessary to read.
Imagine for a moment that my wife took the time to write me a love letter and sent it to me telling me how much she loved me, and how much she cared for me, and telling about her hopes for our future together. Now, imagine if you will that she had a friend bring that note to me and that he was killed in the process of bringing me that note. Now imagine, if you will, how she would feel when she asked me about the letter some time later, and I told her I hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet, or I had been too busy, or I was too tired, or something.
Do you think my professions of love for her would impress her? Do you honestly believe she would be touched as I sang about how much she means to me and about how much I love her? I doubt it.
Jesus says, "The person who loves Me has My commands." We reflect His love back to Him by being students of His love-note to us.