lovesick heart
Mar 3rd, 2008 by Nathanael
Many of the prophets in the Old Testament spoke in graphic language at times to convey the impact that their message carried. And the prophet Ezekiel is no different. In chapter 16, the Lord GOD speaks through Ezekiel, likening the city of Jerusalem to a cast off birth that no one wanted. But the LORD found her and took her and raised her to be a beautiful young woman. He made a marriage covenant with her, committing Himself to her in love. Yet she wandered and played the whore. The rest of the chapter expounds on her unfaithfulness.
In the middle of the chapter, in verse 30, the Lord speaks to His beloved and says, “’How lovesick is your heart.” He recognized within His bride the need to love and be loved because He created her to feel and experience this need. But the interesting thing about Jerusalem is that she chose not to receive her Lord’s love, and then love Him in return. So she had to receive and give love somewhere, and she wandered from her faithful lover.
We are created with an innate need to love and to be loved. If we don’t get it in our homes growing up, we will seek it out somewhere. If we are not getting it from our close friends, we will go searching for it elsewhere. If we are not experiencing this love with our spouse, we will try to find it in another’s arms. The sad thing about our nature is that it is possible for us to be receiving this love from our parents or friends or spouses, and yet still go seeking it out with another.
And this is especially true with the love of our Redeemer. Who has loved us more than Jesus? No one. Who has lavished His love on us in extravagant and immeasurable ways? Only Jesus. And yet, and yet I find my heart wanders like a lovesick, unfaithful wife, neither receiving nor repaying my Savior’s love.
Lord, draw me anew into your embrace today.
