The Banner of Love
by Ron Scurfield
Lovingly we are led into the banqueting hall. The banner of love flies over us and we are the recipients of that love. We don’t resist. We don’t fight against it. This is the blessing of the Lord, drawing us into His very presence.
We respond to His love in humility and with gratitude, unworthy though we are we receive it. It becomes our motivation. It is our strength. It settles upon our life. – the love of God, for me. All guilt and shame have vanished. All unworthiness has been lifted away. Nothing stands in the way of the overwhelming love of God, poured out like the alabaster jar of oil poured over Jesus’ head (Matthew 26:6). The woman gave all she had because of her love for Him.
Jesus gave all He had because of His love for His people. It cost Him everything. Have we received it? Have we taken it to ourselves in the same spirit that it was given? Do we cherish it and wear it as an honour bestowed upon us by the King. Has our life been transformed by His grace and His sacrifice and His all embracing love?
Or have we cast it aside like an old medal? Perhaps we appreciated it at the time, enjoying the glory for a while, then put it away and forgot about it.. We might bring it out from time to time to show to our friends.
The love of God is not a medal. It’s not a trophy to boast of. It demands a change of heart and of life. “The old has gone, the new has come.” It is an everlasting blessing bestowed upon us by God, made available by His Son, through His incomparable love for us all.
Is His banner flying boldly and continually over each of our lives? When the king is at home in the Palace the Royal Standard flies proudly over his residence. This is for all to see that the king is home. It’s no different with the Banner of Love. It needs to be unfurled and flown over our lives constantly, displayed for all to see.
Let us not take God’s love for granted. We have been transformed by the newness of life; a life bestowed upon us by His death. We must fly the Banner from the ramparts, for all to see that The King of Glory is in residence. Our lives should reflect the wonder of such a great honour we’ve been given in our standing with Jesus, as the joy of the Lord generates our deepest love for Him.
People may look. They may stare and they may wonder. They did this with the cross on which the King of Glory died. Let us boldly fly our banner of love over our lives continually, so that others too may be invited to the Banquet and share in the joy of a new life with the King.
Ron Scurfield with his wife Jill, are part of the Associate Ministry Team at Ellel Grange and occasionally Ellel Scotland. Ron enjoys walking and writing and meeting interesting people, but his greatest joy is seeing God transform lives, setting people free to live the abundant life that Jesus intended.
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