Love is the charm of God’s holy book, as it will be our greatest wonder in eternal glory. Its grand design, its matchless methods, its final triumphs, all unite to add charm upon charm to the story that fills the pages of Holy Scripture.

        Not only is the story of God’s own love recorded in the Book, but examples of the love of others, illustrating or typifying it, are found in abundant and engaging variety. Let us take a rapid glance at a few of these.

Exploits of Love

        It was love for Joseph that made a pilgrim of aged, crippled Jacob, as with joy he exclaimed, “I will go and see him before I die” (Gen. 45:28).

        Love to Naomi made a devoted follower of Ruth the Moabitess. She said, in effect, “Her company is better than my country, with every prospect it could possibly hold out to me” (Ruth 1:11-16).

        Love made Rizpah, Miriam, and Mary Magdalene patient, self-forgetting watchers. Love made all three bold and fearless in a dark and lonely hour (2 Sam. 21:10; Exod. 2:4; John 20:11).

        Love to David made a stranger of Mephibosheth. It was as though he had said, “If I cannot reach him in the place where he has gone, my separation from the order of things from which he has been unrighteously rejected shall be as distinctly marked as I can possibly make it” (2 Sam. 19:24-30).

        Love led Jonathan to self-sacrifice. “He stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David; and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle” (1 Sam. 18:3,4).

        Love made the Hebrew servant a slave forever. The company of those he loved was more to him than liberty without them. “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free” (Exod. 21:5).

Triumphs and Rewards of Love

        Jacob’s eyes got a feast of satisfaction in seeing royal honors covering his beloved Joseph.

        Ruth got into the royal line of God’s chosen people.

        Miriam saw her brother brought into royal circumstances.

        Rizpah saw her sons get a royal burial.

        Jonathan got royal love in return for loyal affections; and in love David exceeded.

        Mephibosheth, when David returned in peace, was restored to royal associations.

        Mary Magdalene got more than all earthly royalty could bestow; she was given the first interview with the Lord of glory after He had risen from the dead; and she was entrusted with one of the most wonderful communications ever listened to by human ears:“I ascend unto My Father and your Father; and to My God and your God.” In seeking Him she got, like Miriam, a joyful message for those dear to Him.

The Apostle Paul

        The apostle Paul seemed, well-nigh, to compass them all:

        Like Miriam, he watched with tenderest affection over those who belonged to the absent One, who loved both them and him (1 Thess. 2:7,8).

        Like Mary Magdalene, he was entrusted with marvelous revelations for Christ’s brethren (2 Cor. 12:7), and by special revelation it was part of his service, under inspiration, to “complete the word of God”(Col. 1:25).

        Like Jacob, his desire was to depart and be with the One he loved, whose desires were towards him (Phil. 1:23).

        Like Mephibosheth, he regarded the world as crucified to him, and he to the world (Gal. 6:14).

        Like Jonathan, he counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Him to whom he owed everything, “Christ Jesus, my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

        Like the Hebrew servant, he was glad for the sake of others to remain here the bondslave of Jesus Christ. He loved his Master. His heart went out in earnest for all God’s saints, many of them his children in the gospel.

        “To abide in the flesh is more needful for you,” he wrote to the Philippians. “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:24-26).

        This too had its present special reward. Paul’s great comfort in the prison at Rome was the sense of having the Lord’s company and support (2 Tim. 4:17).

        All this was the fruit of responsive love. Behind it all was “the love of Christ that passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:19), the love that “constrains us” (2 Cor. 5:14).

                The love of Christ is the power behind all that He has done for us, and behind all that we have ever done, or ever shall do, acceptably to Himself. Oh, to know that love better! Oh that it may make its own peculiar mark upon every reader!    (From Help and Food, Vol. 24.)