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Love Unquenchable
Jon Burgess“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” Song of Solomon 8:6-7 NIV
According to King Solomon, love is as strong as death. Jesus proved on the Cross that love is actually stronger then death. In fact the only way to keep the "many waters" of life from quenching the "mighty flame" of love we have for our spouse is through Jesus. Solomon gives the key to longevity of love- "place me like a seal over your heart." Again, I would say that Jesus took it a step further then Solomon. When Jesus' love is the seal the cares of life cannot steal the love we have for our spouse. Our love runs out while His never does. If love is to be more then a flash in the pan, more then a one night stand, more then selfishness of man, it must be found in Christ.
Cyndi and I had these verses on our wedding program. We chose them not just for the powerful prose, but for the call to fight that rings through in these words. We had both witnessed love found and lost. We had both seen mighty flames quenched by many waters. We both knew the culture of this world was averse and hostile to lasting love. We knew it wouldn't come easy. We knew we couldn't do it without Jesus. We thought we knew what these verses meant, but the truth is we didn't have a clue what lasting love was. Not until you face down the divorce of your parents. Not until you face the death of loved ones. Not until you suffer the accusation of friends. Not until you say goodbye to everyone you know. Not until you face the reality your babies might die. Not until you overcome temptations. Not until you stand on opposite ends of an issue. Not until you say words you cannot take back. Not until you are so tired you feel you cannot go on. Not until we had faced these things did we see the face of Jesus placed as a seal over our hearts. If His love is not the seal then our hearts become sealed off from each other by bitterness, jealousy, weariness, unforgiveness, shame, and pride. When His love is the seal then our love continues to grow. Paul prays for the church in Philippi that their "love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" (Philippians 1:9). Love will either abound or atrophy for there is no middle ground. Cyndi and I will have been married 19 years this Tuesday and we are just now learning the meaning of these verses. An unquenchable love for each other is only possible with an unstoppable pursuit of the Savior.
Thank you Jesus for my bride. Thank you for showing me what true love is through the way she loves me, our family, and those around us. I pray at you would reveal any place where heart has been sealed by anything but Your love. I don't want to hold on to anything but You as we head into our 20th year of marriage. I'm in awe at all You have brought us through. I pray that my love for Cyndi would abound more and more. That I would not rest on how I've loved in the past but I would press to love her even deeper in the future. Thank You for Your love unquenchable!
