Imagine
finally finding the love of your life, the one of your absolute dreams! The one whom you love
more than words can say and thoughts can express! Your heart almost bursts from
the immense love and deep emotion you have for this person.
Then,
during your engagement courtship, your beloved must complete a university degree
across country, leaving the two of you separated for awhile. You have vowed to your
loved one, with all your heart, mind, and soul, your continued love,
faithfulness, commitment, and fidelity. All you can think about during your
separation is how wonderful it will be to be reunited; to finally be together
once again. You are consumed by your love and can’t wait for the day when you
will finally get married, never to separate again.
While
away at university, some fellow students attempt to sway you from your vow, desire, and
commitment to the one you deeply love, cherish, and adore. I call them “Jonadabs,“
because they are like the evil man, Jonadab, who gave
wicked advise to King David's son, Amnon, in 2 Samuel 13:3. But, because of your deeply rooted love, you
will not be moved! You will not be persuaded to bow to them, and forsake your
dearest, deepest, loved one.
Then,
one day, these Jonadabs play an evil prank on you. They get you alone and tell
you, “If you do not speak evil of your loved one, and deny and turn your back
on your so-called beloved, and follow our ways,
then we will kill you!” Yet, the depth of your love, your relationship, and
commitment to your loved one is very great! You will not, and cannot deny, or
turn your back on the one you love more than life itself. In fact, you would
rather die than forsake your love!
It
seems God is slowly awakening his children to the realization that we may truly
have to live as He did when on this earth: rejected, misunderstood, scorned,
hated, ridiculed, persecuted, forsaken, and possibly even face dying for our
faith. But is not our Savior and Lord worthy of this?
Copyright
2023 Cheremiah Mariano
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