God’s Conversation Hearts
I am the oldest of 3 children. My sister is 8 years younger, my brother 4
years younger. When we were children,
February was a hectic month for us. My
dad and sister’s birthdays were 2 days away from Valentine’s Day on either
side. We also grew up in Louisiana,
where Mardi Gras dictated everything that happened in town. So, in an effort to make Valentine’s Day
stand out a little, my brother and I invented a game. We would each get a box or bag of candy
conversation hearts at the store and dump them into a bowl. We would set a timer and quickly set to work
making up silly stories with the hearts.
We assigned points to different colors, how many were used in a
sentence, etc. The only rule was that
the sentence had to make sense grammatically, so sometimes they were rather
absurd! Such a story might be:
My ONE AND ONLY you are AWESOME. You are MY
HERO and I am CRAZY 4 U. It is TRUE
LOVE, SWEET PEA.
At the end of the game, we’d tally points, clear our
stories, and start again. If we wrote a
real winner, we might glue the hearts to a page for later. Eventually, however, no matter how clever
our prose, the hearts would dissolve, the words would smear, and our stories
would be trashed.
Over the years, the sayings on the hearts changed. For instance, when we first started doing
this game, we might have one that said “write me” or “call me.” Then, with the advent of personal computers, they
started adding” email me.” Later, “IM
Me,” “Fax Me, “Text Me,” and “Let’s
chat.” It was always a surprise to see
what phrases would be in the boxes each year when we started our stories.
While preparing for this devo, I ran across a picture on
Pinterest called “God’s Conversation Hearts.”
It reminded me of the stories my brother and I used to write, but with a
few major differences.
1.
While the
sayings on the hearts changed over the years as the current “slang” changed,
God’s word never changes
a.
Hebrews 13:8 8 Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today, and forever.
b.
Malachi 3:6 6
"For I am the Lord,
I do not change;
c.
James 1:17 17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
2.
Our candy hearts
dissolved when we tried to preserve them.
God’s word will never fade away!
a.
Isaiah 40:8 8
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands
forever."
b.
Matthew 24:35 35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by
no means pass away.
3.
Our stories were always different, even with the same
hearts to choose from. If I chose a
heart that said, “Love Me,” my brother couldn’t. With God’s word, however, my receiving it
doesn’t prevent you from obtaining the same blessings. In fact, my sharing it with you increases
your chance of receiving it! Also, God’s
word can be read and understood the same by all.
4.
We gave point values to our candy hearts. Some words were worth more, some less. God’s words, however, are all equally
important.
5.
Sweet talk from men may just be flattery. God cannot lie, so sweet words from Him have
eternal significance and should make us feel special.
a.
Psalm 19:10 10
More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
God converses with us through His holy word, and we
reciprocate through prayer. In
Scripture, God’s heart and mind are revealed to us. If we were to open God’s “box of
conversation hearts” the way my brother and I used to with the candy hearts,
what would we find? I played around with
some hearts that are in the candy boxes and came up with this story.
BELOVED
I LOVE YOU with an
everlasting love.
LOVE ME and BE MINE and I will bless you beyond
measure!
BE STILL and know that I am God and you can TRUST ME
To take care of all you need. Seek me and you will find me, because I’M YOURS
and YOU’RE MINE. No
one can take that from us as long as you
DON’T GO LET’S
TALK every day, and together, we can Make
it through even the
most difficult times. UR SPECIAL to me.
The parts in all capitals are the "hearts" from God. Here are verses to go with them:
2 Thess 2:13
BELOVED 13 But we are bound to give thanks to
God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because
God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the
Spirit and belief in the truth,
I LOVE YOU John
3:16 16 For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.
LOVE ME – John 14:15 15
"If you love Me, keepMy commandments.
BE MINE 2 Cor
6:18 18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My
sons and daughters, Says the Lord
Almighty."
BE STILL Psalm 46:10
TRUST ME 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own
understanding;
I’M YOURS John
17:22-23 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they
may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in
one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as
You have loved Me.
LET’S TALK I Thess
5:17 17 pray without
ceasing,
2 Tim
2:15 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
U R SPECIAL Psalm
139:14 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made;[3]Marvelous are Your works, And that
my soul knows very well.
1 Pet 2:9 9 But you are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
This is awesome! I love the game idea AND your Devo spin on it!!
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