In my recent fasting and prayer journey God spent some time speaking to me about love. In one prayer session He showed me a rushing river. The water was cold and clear and powerful.

As I watched the river flow in its course uninterrupted someone began to roll large boulders into the river trying to dam up the flow. The waters rose and turned and flowed even more violently around  the rocks. More and more boulders were added but the river was not stopped. It began to break its banks and flow around the boulders amongst the trees of the forest until eventually turning back toward its original destination spilling back into the river basin from which it had come.

I heard the voice of the Lord say, “The river is the power of love. The boulders are the power of sin. Some would say that sin is stronger than love because in this world it seems that sin is winning and love is seldom found.  But I would say to you that is not because sin is stronger than love but because sin like the boulders in the river has temporarily diverted love from its intended course.

Sin has not been able to subvert or undo love. Sin has only diverted love from its original banks. It can be found but now it must be sought or the boulders must be removed so that love can meet its intended mark.

The problem is not with the quality of love. Nothing can change love. It is beyond change and will always be the same. Love is “patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails.” I Cor. 13:4-8

As I have promised sin will be destroyed but love will continue to flow. the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a]

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3: 7-13

But that is future. In the now the power of love flows strong but sin has attempted to divert it from its intended course. To find My love you must seek it out. To do that you must leave behind your sin. You must let me remove it out of your way so that the waters of life, the waters of love may course over you again. To the degree you continue to let sin remain in your life to that degree you will never know My love. To the degree you allow me to pull the boulders of sin out of your life and you out of the boulders of sin to that degree you will know my love. What will you choose?”