FALAITE SIULAI 31, 2026

‘AISEA 40-43; LOMA 11:33-36

Nothing in heaven or on earth compares to the infinitely glorious greatness of our Lord.

‘Oku ‘ikai ha me’a ‘i langi pe ‘i mamani ‘e fakatataua ki he naunau kafakafa mo lau’itaniti ‘o hotau ‘Otua.

I think the word great has lost much of its meaning. We talk about a great piece of cake. We celebrate a great pair of shoes. We talk about how great a game was. We tell people we had a great vacation. But true and incomparable greatness belongs only to the Lord. Attempting to capture the grandeur and greatness of  the Lord, Isaiah stretches the boundaries of language and word pictures. Even under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah seems to understand that there is no way to capture the greatness of our God inside the limits of human language. 

Our Lord's infinite greatness cannot adequately be described or understood. And so Isaiah offers a true but limited portrait:

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand

and marked off the heavens with a span,

enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure

and weighed the mountains in scales

and the hills in a balance?

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD,

or what man shows him his counsel?

Whom did he consult,

and who made him understand?

Who taught him the path of justice,

and taught him knowledge,

and showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and are accounted as the dust on the scales;

behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,

nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

All the nations are as nothing before him,

they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

To whom then will you liken God,

or what likeness compare with him?

An idol! A craftsman casts it,

and a goldsmith overlays it with gold

and casts for it silver chains.

He who is too impoverished for an offering

chooses wood that will not rot;

he seeks out a skillful craftsman

to set up an idol that will not move..

To whom then will you compare me,

that I should be like him? says the Holy One. (Isa. 40:12-20, 25)

This description of the glorious greatness of our Lord is in the Bible so that everyone reading it will know with certainty that placing your heart and life in his almighty hands is never risky. Because he is this great, God is able to keep every one of his promises and to push his redemptive plan to its final and glorious conclusion.

Because this is true, Isaiah ends his "God is great" poem with these lines:

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint. (Isa. 40:29-31)

In his greatness, God has more than enough power to meet you in your weakness and to empower you to be what he has redeemed you to be and to do what he has redeemed you to do.

 TU’APULELULU SIULAI 30, 2026

‘AISEA 36-39; Luke 11:1-13

God answers our prayers not because we are worthy, but because he is a God of grace and is zealous for his own glory.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke tali ‘e he ‘Otua ‘etau lotu koe’uhi ‘oku tau taau, ka koe’uhi ko e ‘Otua Ia ‘o e kelesi pea ‘oku ne mamahi’i hono langilangi.

I probably couldn't get an audience with the president of the United States at the White House, no matter how hard I tried. In fact, I probably couldn't get an appointment at City Hall. These people of power, where decisions are made that affect my life in many ways, are for the most part closed to me. No one there wants to hear me talk about what I need. No one there is open to my opinion or cares for me personally. When it comes to the rooms of human power, where significant decisions are made, no one hears me when I cry out. In those places, the life and cares of Paul Tripp mean little. Such is life for most of us.

But, without even rising from the place where I am now seated, I can speak to the King of kings, the one who made and rules this world. He hears every word, knows me, understands me, cares for me, and always answers. He is never too busy, too distracted, or too disappointed in me to hear and answer. In the places of human power, I am not received or heard because those leaders have no incentive to receive or hear me. Yet the ruler of the universe welcomes me whenever and wherever I cry out. I come into his presence without an appointment and without having to argue for my worthiness. Why would God ever listen to my prayers? 

In Isaiah 37 King Hezekiah receives a letter that mocks God's presence, power,

and promises. The king doesn't respond, but spreads the letter out before the

Lord and prays:

O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore

they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD. (Isa. 37:15-20)

What gives Hezekiah the confidence to rush into God's presence and ask for his help? There is no indication that he appeals to his own righteousness. He comes to God trusting in his covenant promises, and he appeals to God's zeal for his glory to be known.

Our confidence in prayer is the same as Hezekiah's. It's based not on who we are, but on who God is and what he has promised his children.

 PULELULU SIULAI 29, 2026

‘AISEA 31-35; SAAME 30:1-12

God's presence and promises give us reason to get up in the morning and persevere.

Ko e lotolotonga mo e ngaahi palomesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ne ‘omi ‘a e makatu’unga ke tau ofo ‘i he pongipongi kotoa pea ke tau kitaki ‘i he hala fonongaa. 

Sometimes I suffer through extended periods of intense physical pain. It's very hard. During the day, there is not a painless moment. At night my sleep is regularly interrupted by pain. Because of other physical issues, I am unable to take medication that could alleviate my suffering. It makes everything difficult and many things impossible. Sometimes the pain is so severe that I can barely concentrate. On many occasions, the pain brings me to tears. But I never consider giving up or caving in to the pain. I get up every day and do the things God calls me and blesses me to do. Please know that I do not press forward because I am a hero. Sometimes my suffering gets me down. Only one thing causes me to persevere, and it is captured by the prophet Isaiah:

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

it shall blossom abundantly

and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the LORD,

the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

"Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

will come with

vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you."

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isa: 35:1-4, 10)

How do you respond when you lose your job? How do you deal with the rebellion of one of your children? What do you think as you're being rejected at your university, simply because you are a Christian? How do you face physical suffering? How do you respond to financial need? What do you do when death enters your family's door? How much is anxiety a regular part of your emotional life? How much of your life is shaped by fear and not by faith? What do you do to cope? This passage from Isaiah is in the Bible to get your attention and to give you reason to continue to do the things God calls you to do. As his children, we have reason to get up day after day and persevere: his glorious presence and his unshakable promises. He is with us in glory now, and his promises guarantee that our sorrow and sighing will one day end, forever.

You have a reason for rest of heart now and hope for a bright future, which give you a reason to get up tomorrow. With faith, courage, and a glad heart, you can do the things God has chosen you to do.

 TUSITE SIULAI 28, 2026

‘AISEA 28-30; 1 PITA 2:4-10

Jesus is our sure foundation. He is the cornerstone upon which the house of God stands.

Ko Sisu ‘a hotau makatu’unga pau. Ko e Makatuliki tau’olunga ia ‘oku langa ai ‘a e Fale ‘o e ‘Otua.

When you're reading a well-written novel, you have no trouble identifying the main character. He will be there on page after page. He will dominate chapter after chapter. Although the book will contain many other characters and subplots, the novel really is his story. Everything in the book is somehow about him. If you were to take him out of the novel, the whole story would fall apart and make no sense, because he is the story.

So it is with the Bible. It is the story of Jesus. He is the hero of the story. His presence looms over every book of the Bible. You don't encounter him first in the New Testament. No, he is present from the very first chapter of Genesis (see Col. 1:16). As the history of the people of God is told in the Old Testament, sometimes it's clear that an author can be speaking only of Jesus, even though his name isn't mentioned. Isaiah 28:16-17 is such a passage:

Thus says the Lord GOD,

"Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:

"Whoever believes will not be in haste.

And I will make justice the line,

and righteousness the plumb line."

The apostle Peter applies these words to Jesus (see 1 Pet. 2:6). In Isaiah, God is speaking into his people's present situation, but the words look beyond any human leader of the moment and find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Consider Peter's amazing description of Jesus. He is the tested stone. He faced Satan's temptations, the rejection of those he had created, plots against him, torturous suffering, and the general hardships of life in this fallen world, and he was without sin. Jesus is the precious one. There is no one like him. He is the gift of infinite value, the rarest of diamonds. He is the

cornerstone of the house of God, the temple for the people of God, where his presence dwells. He is the definition of righteousness, and through his righteousness we are redeemed. He is the ultimate judge, who will restore you everything you need.

perfect justice to the earth. When you entrust your soul to Jesus, he gives Many of us live with cornerstone amnesia. We live in functional confusion and fear. The demands and busyness of life cause us to forget the sure foundation upon which our lives as his children are built. We forget that we are part of the surest edifice that has ever been built-the church, the household of faith. Although we face hardship, disappointment, and suffering, our lives are built on Jesus the sure foundation. We have a security that can never be shaken. Jesus is your cornerstone. What amazing grace!

 MONITE SIULAI 27, 2026

‘AISEA 23-27; MA’AKE 7:14-23

Sin defiles the perfectly beautiful world that the Lord created.

‘Oku faka’uli’i ‘e he angahala ‘a e fo’i mamani faka’ofo’ofa na’e fakatupu ‘e he ‘Otua.

The prophet Isaiah captures the sad, destructive, and defiling legacy of sin:

The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and withers;

the highest people of the earth languish.

The earth lies defiled

under its inhabitants;

for they have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes,

broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore a curse devours the earth,

and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;

therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,

and few men are left.

The wine mourns,

the vine languishes,

all the merry-hearted sigh.

The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,

the noise of the jubilant has ceased,

the mirth of the lyre is stilled.

No more do they drink wine with singing;

strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

The wasted city is broken down;

every house is shut up so that none can enter.

There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;

all joy has grown dark; 

the gladness of the earth is banished. (Isa. 24:4-11)

Sin never produces anything good. It never leaves a harvest of good fruit. It never builds or reconciles. It never restores what is broken or creates unity and peace. Sin never enhances a culture or makes human government serve its people better. Sin never causes marital love to deepen or grow. Sin never makes people kinder, more content, or wiser. Sin is always destructive; it always leaves a bitter harvest. Sin is the ultimate pandemic. It infects everyone and everything. Its defilement is inescapable. Sin is the ultimate enemy of all that is good. It is a spiritual cancer without a human cure. Sin has one destination: death.

It is easy for us to minimize the presence, power, and destructiveness of sin. Yet Isaiah 24 reminds us of its destructive and defiling nature. Even so, it's easy to tell ourselves that what God says is wrong isn't so bad after all. But sad, hard- to-read passages are in the Bible because God is a God of tender, loving, and protecting grace. He knows our hearts. He knows that sin doesn't always look sinful to us. So he lovingly warns us.

May we ask for forgiveness for the times we have named as beautiful the things God says are defiled. And may we seek him for the grace to see sin in all its ugliness, to have the power to say no to its seductive draw, and to find joy in the wisdom and good fruit of God's commands.

 SAPATE SIULAI 26, 2026

‘AISEA 18-22; SAAME 2:1-12

The Lord is sovereign over the affairs of nations, and ultimately his holy and wise will shall be done.

‘Oku aoniu ‘a Sihova ‘i he ngaahi pule’anga, pea ‘e tu’utai ‘a hono finangalo poto mo haohaoaa.

You might look around at the chaos of this world, and wonder whether anybody is in charge. It looks as though things are going from bad to worse. The church's influence seems to be shrinking, while evil seems to be prospering. Unthinkable things that are against God's creation plan are not just tolerated, but are celebrated as the new norm. As grandparents, it makes us sad to think about the condition of the world that our grandchildren will grow up in. The culture around us seems to be in constant and rapid change, and the changes aren't for the good. You look around, and the world seems out of control.

The Bible consistently reminds us that, yes, the world is out of our control, and we are often powerless to effect the changes it desperately needs-but our world is, in fact, under control. God holds the whole world in his hands. The one who is the definition of holy, wise, and good sits on the throne as the ruler over everything. He is the ruler of rulers. He controls everything, everywhere, all of the time. Rest and peace of heart come not from trying to understand it all, but from trusting the one who understands it all and rules it all for his glory and our ultimate good.

We find one of Scripture's "I am in charge" moments in Isaiah 21:16-17:

Thus the Lord said to me, "Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.”

Kedar (Arabia) will be humbled in defeat and trouble God's people no more. But it is important to note why this will happen. This defeat will not be the result of military might. It will not happen because of the power of an earthly king. It will happen because the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken. God's power is so infinitely great and his rule so complete that whatever he speaks comes to pass. Not only does God declare that this defeat will happen, but he declares exactly when it will take place. Now that is control!

God's sovereign rule over the nations is our hope. Every promise he has made to us is only as good as the extent of his rule, because he can guarantee the sure delivery of his promises only in the places where he rules. But since he is in total control everywhere, we can rest in the knowledge that he will deliver all that he has promised. The work of the Son will be completed, he will win the final victory, and we will live with him forever. The Lord has spoken.

 TOKONAKI SIULAI 25, 2026

‘AISEA 13-17; FAKAHA 21:1-5

God, in grace, not only forgives us, but he also restores the things sin has damaged or destroyed.

Ko e ‘Otua ‘i he’ene kelesi, ‘oku ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i he’ene fakamolemole’i kitautolu, ka ‘oku ne fakafoki ‘a e ngaahi me’a na’e maumau’i mo faka’auha ‘e he angahalaa.

There are many wonderful old homes in Philadelphia. I get excited when someone purchases an old broken-down house and, instead of tearing it down, chooses to restore it. I love watching the slow progress of the damage being undone, piece by piece. I try to imagine what the house looked like in its former glory, and I love seeing that former glory progressively return. Even though I don't own the home, I find myself celebrating the fact that time and disrepair have not won. When the work is finally done and the house stands regal and beautiful, I celebrate the victory. But as much as the restoration of any physical thing is a victory over time and decay, it doesn't compare to the eternal glory of restorative grace. We must understand and celebrate the truth that God's grace doesn't end with forgiveness; it extends and extends until all that sin has damaged or destroyed is fully and finally restored.

We get a glimpse of God's restorative mercy in Isaiah 14:1: "For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob." God was not willing to leave his children in captivity and defeat. Even though they had not earned it, nor did they deserve it, God would restore the glory of his people-not just for their good, but for his own glory. He would demonstrate that nothing could get in the way of his eternal redeeming plan for a world so damaged by sin. He would restore and preserve his people, so that out of them could come the ultimate restorer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Passages like Isaiah 14 are not in the Bible just to record the progress of redemptive history. They are also there to help you understand God's character and plan. These restorative moments are God's reminders that he cares about the damage sin has done to us, our families, the natural environment, our neighborhoods and cities, and our systems of education, industry, and government. Everything has been damaged by sin, somehow and in some way. God's love for us is so vast that he forgives us and restores us.

Your Lord begins by restoring you so that you can live as he designed you to live. But there will be a day when he will make all things new. In almighty mercy, he will reverse every bit of damage sin has done, and we will live forever, in peace and righteousness, in a totally new world. This broken-down house that we call home will not be broken forever.

You live in the middle of the brokenness now, but there is hope, because the divine restorer has entered the house, and very good things are on the way.

 FALAITE SIULAI 24, 2026

‘AISEA 9-12; I KOLINITO 1:26-31 

Jesus is the grace of God come to earth.

Ko SISU, ko e Kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua, kuo hoko mai ki mamani.

Once on a speaking trip, I stayed at the home of a wealthy family. This family had been wealthy for generations. One room featured a wall full of portraits of past generations of family members. My host explained to me that, in the days before the camera, itinerant painters would travel from city to city in search of well-to-do clients who would sit for a portrait. Since painting a portrait takes time, the painter would typically live with the family, in a guesthouse or guest until the painting was complete. In so doing, the painter would get to know the family, particularly the person he was painting. His knowledge of the influenced his composition of the portrait. Good painters were known for their ability to capture the essence of the lifestyle, personality, position, and work of their subjects.

If you were to "paint" a verbal picture of Jesus, what words would you use to capture who he is, what he came to do, and what he continues to do in and for those who put their trust in him? It may surprise you, but one of the most beautiful and best-known verbal portraits of Jesus is found not in the New Testament, Gospels or Epistles, but rather in the beginning of one of the Old Testament Prophets. For generations, students of the Bible have wondered at, meditated on, and attempted to understand the meaning and implication of the words of this portrait. Perhaps you have already figured out that I am referring to the picture of Jesus painted by Isaiah:

To us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isa. 9:6-7)

What an incredible portrait of the one who is our only hope in life and death. Jesus is everything Isaiah depicted. Jesus is our source of wisdom, the power by which sin is defeated, the one who adopts us into the family of God forever, and the means by which we have peace with God and with one another. And his kingdom of peace and righteousness will never end. He is the hero at the center of God's plan of redeeming grace, and nothing will impede God's zeal to complete his plan.

It is right to say that in Jesus you find everything you need in order to be you were meant to be, to do what God designed you to do, and to enjoy life as God meant for you to enjoy it. Jesus is life. Jesus is hope. Jesus is the grace of God. We will spend eternity worshiping and celebrating him. Why not start now?

 TU’APULELULU SIULAI 23, 2026

‘AISEA 5-8; 1 PITA 1:13-21

God has revealed his perfect holiness not only to tell us who he is, but to redefine who we are.

Kuo fakaha mai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a hono tu’unga ma’oni’oni haohaoa kiate kitautolu, ‘o ‘ikai ‘uhinga pe ke tau ‘ilo ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio, ka ke toe fakamatala’i ai hotau tu’unga tangataa.

The prophet Isaiah invites us to witness his vision of standing before the throne of the Almighty God:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: 

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!"

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." (Isa. 61-7)

This is one of the most amazing and awe-inspiring scenes in Scripture. Seraphim stand on either side above God's throne and call to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" God is so infinitely holy that it takes the threefold use of the word to express the expansive nature of his perfection. But that's not all. God is so holy that the glory of his holiness fills the whole earth.

Pay attention to Isaiah's response. He doesn't say, "This is so amazing. I am so glad I was chosen to see this!" No, he is immediately aware of the gravity of his sin. This is what the revelation of God's holiness should do to each of us. When you let your heart meditate on the glory of the perfect holiness of God, you cannot help but feel the weight of your sin. The revelation of God's holiness redefines how we think about ourselves.

In the beauty of grace, God doesn't leave Isaiah weighed down by the gravity of his sin. For a moment the chant stops, and a seraph flies to Isaiah and offers him atonement for his sin. In seven verses the whole gospel is preached. God is holy, we are sinners, and there is no hope for us apart from his atoning grace.

Has God's holiness had this effect on you? Has it opened your eyes to the tragedy of your sin? Has it caused you to cry out for his grace? Sin is real and powerful, but it has been defeated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And, because it has, forgiving, empowering, transforming, and delivering grace is ours when we humbly repent and call upon the name of Jesus.

 PULELULU SIULAI 22, 2026

‘AISEA 1-4; 1 SIONE 3:16-24

God is not content with your apathetic participation in the formal rituals of the church; he wants to rule your heart.

‘Ikai finangalo lelei ‘a e ‘Otua ki ho’o tauhi fakatu’unga me’a pe ‘a e oua ‘o e lotu; ‘oku ne fiema’u ke ne pule’i ho loto. 

God has gifted us with the local church, where we can be instructed in the gospel, lift our voices in songs of praise, give out of the treasures he has provided for us, and enjoy the community of his people. The church, with all of its rituals, is a precious gift from the God of grace. Your participation in the life and activities of the church is meant to flow from a heart that has submitted to your Redeemer. But that is not always what happens in worship. Formalism is one of the gospel's most seductive and deceptive counterfeits. It looks like real Christianity on the surface, but it lacks that which Jesus came to redeem and rule: the heart. Formalism is not new. It was around in the Old Testament, where we see how seriously God responded to this counterfeit worship:

Hear the word of the LORD,

you rulers of Sodom!

Give ear to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?

says the LORD;

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of well-fed beasts;

I do not delight in the blood of bulls,

or of lambs, or of goats.

"When you come to appear before me,

who has required of you

this trampling of my courts?

Bring no more vain offerings;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations-

I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.

Your new moons and your appointed feasts

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them." (Isa. 1:10-14)

Everything that God here calls an abomination-sacrifices, burnt offerings, coming to the temple, the Sabbath, convocations, appointed feasts-are practices he ordained and commanded his people to participate in. But they were to flow from hearts that were faithful to him, producing a life of willing obedience to his commands.

This passage is a warning to us. We must not pride ourselves on the consistency of our church attendance, the regularity of our giving, or the degree of our theological knowledge. God designed us to live out of the heart, that is, everything we do and say is controlled by the thoughts and desires of our heart. And he will settle for nothing less than the ownership and true worship of our hearts. 

He will not be satisfied with our singing songs of grace on Sunday if throughout the rest of the week we respond gracelessly to the people we live and work with. How about you? Is there a disconnect between what you say you believe, what you celebrate on Sunday, and how you live your life on the other days of the week? Thankfully, God gives forgiving and empowering grace for this struggle.

 TUSITE SIULAI 21, 2026

HIVA ‘O E HIVA 1-8; ‘EFESO 5:22-33

One of God's beautiful gifts to us is love - not just his perfect love, but also the beauty and pleasure of marital love.

Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi me’a’ofa faka’ofo’ofa ‘a e ‘Otua ma’a kitautolu, ko e ‘ofa - ‘o ‘ikai ko e ‘Ene ‘ofa haohaoaa pe - ka ko e faka’ofo’ofa mo e vovo ‘o e ‘ofa ‘i he nofo mali.

I will never forget the first time I told Luella that I loved her. We had been dating for a while, and I was convinced that I was deeply, madly in love with her. I was searching for just the right moment to say those powerful words: I love you. An evening came when the moment seemed right. I looked into her eyes and said, "Luella, I love you." What happened next was not in my romantic plan. She said, "You what? You love me? What do you know about love? Don't ever say that to me again." Now, Luella wasn't being mean to me. She was looking into the face of a seventeen-year-old boy. She was right; I had little knowledge of what real love was. This was my God-given wake-up call to be more serious about one of the most beautiful things God has created: the love, romance, passion, and commitment between a man and a woman. By the way, things turned out quite well after that disaster of an evening. Luella and I have enjoyed our love relationship for over five decades, and are going strong.

God dedicated an entire book of the Bible to painting a stunning picture of the love relationship between a man and a woman-highlighting its pleasure, passion, and commitment. There is no other book of the Bible like Song of Solomon. It is beautiful, graphic, poetic, and wise. You can't read this book and think that God is against pleasure or views sex as negative. God put us in a world where pleasurable things are all around us, and he designed us with eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and touch-pleasure gates so we could enjoy the pleasures he created. God gets glory when his creatures enjoy the pleasures he has created, within the boundaries he has set and with the understanding that these gifts come from him. God delights in the loving sexual pleasure of a married couple. He created it, after all.

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;

you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!

How much better is your love than wine,

and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!

Your lips drip nectar, my bride;

honey and milk are under your tongue;

the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

(Song 4:9-11)

There it is, right in the middle of God's revelation to us: a beautiful expression of a man's love for his wife. She has not only excited his passion; she has captivated his heart. His words remind us that, except for the love of God, there is no human experience like heart-committed, long-term marital love. When lived God's way, nothing really is better than love.

But, as with any other pleasure God created, we need to be rescued from ourselves so that we can be free to love another as God has designed. Human love is a gift from God, but it takes his grace to enjoy it as he designed.