Relationship, John 3:16NIV

 Devo 4/10/26…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I can almost hear you sigh

I can almost hear you cry

On every crowded street

All the places we would meet

What'll I do without you?

They say that life goes on

I'm feeling sorry for myself

I can't believe you're gone

~The Rolling Stones:  Almost Hear You Sigh~

The song was originally written by Keith Richards for his solo-album “Talk Is Cheap” released in 1988, but Jagger and Richards thought it would be better on the next Stones album. It is a song about a relationship where love is only coming from the singer while his girlfriend or significant other is feeling nothing. This song is on the Steel Wheels album.  A great album and one of my favorite Stones songs.  I find myself coming back to this album a lot due to the fact it was released the year after I graduated high school.  

In thinking about the meaning of the song, how many of us have ever experienced this in a relationship?

I would assume that possibly a good number of us may have experienced our love not being returned. Not so with Christ because Christ is love, so what flows between you and Him is in essence Himself. We just celebrated last Sunday the fact that He gave Himself for us so that the relationship between God and man would not be one way as Mick sings to us in this song about his love not being returned to him by someone who actually has left the relationship. 

Before His sacrifice God was the one singing to us but we not only did not reciprocate we could not because sin separated us.  God sang His heart out to us in the beginning but we did not listen or wouldn’t listen.  And those that did hear it was painstaking to get close to God.  So, through His son’s sacrifice He made it so He could be in our hearts all the time and therefore be close to us on the daily.  Therefore, He would never leave us nor forsake us.  He would be with us wherever we go even until the ends of the earth.  If you have experienced this before then you know how heartbreaking it is especially after you’ve given all your time and energy into a relationship that went nowhere fast because in reality you were the only one that was in it.  God’s heart is so big that He gave His one and only son for you.  He gave His one and only son so that He could be in a relationship with you.  Being in relationship with Christ is about you knowing Him and Him knowing you.  Yes, He’s known you since the dawn of time, but just like anyone in any good relationship, they still want to hear it.  Reciprocation is key. Don’t be the “sigh” in this song. 

#devotional #prodigalpastor #reciprocate #God #relationship #love #Christ #RollingStones