Treasured Letters

Do you have letters that you treasure? Letters from a friend, a spouse, or a celebrity that really impacted you? I treasured a letter from Byron Nelson (which I have lost) but also one from my wife (I still have that one). Go figure. What do you do when you read these letters? I think we read them slowly and with purpose because we know they are vitally important to the life we live.

Last November, I was so moved by the memorial service for Jeff Hopper celebrating a life well-lived. Family, friends, and pastors drew back the curtain for us all to see the remarkable life Jeff lived and shared with so many. Kendra Fletcher, Jeff’s younger sister, spoke eloquently of the love and respect they had for each other. Jeff was always the good older brother who read her stories and always included her in everything. She said, “He made sure we would remember the experiences to the bottom of our hearts.” Kendra was eleven when Jeff left for college. It was a traumatic loss to see her brother leave for a new life in college.

But Jeff continued their relationship by writing her letters while in college. I cried when she spoke of the hundreds of letters she held in her hand. Jeff was eighteen, and surely the activities in college would take precedent over his 11-year-old sister back at home. Not for Jeff. He continued to teach her to write and encouraged her to read. They read books together and exchanged their views. Jeff consistently told Kendra of God’s love for her. She said, “He was always my editor and never my critic.”

Kendra then read a portion of one of the letters, which simply told of a busy college life, the weather, and health issues. But most importantly, Jeff continued to emphasize their mutual faith in God. You can just imagine the impact on a young adolescent. Jeff continued to refresh Kendra’s faith journey with these hundreds of letters she now treasures.

The Bible is God’s beautiful letter to us today. We can hold it in our hands and read it often. It was inspired by God and written for us. Can you imagine the Creator of the universe writing you a letter? Why wouldn’t we read it slowly, often, and with intent? We actually get to know the Author.

There are 66 books in the Bible (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament). There are 1,189 chapters, 31,103 verses, and 807,361 words. What do they all mean? What is the bottom line of His letter to us? I believe its message is that God loves us and wants us to be with Him forever. It is a love letter.

So, what is the most important verse? You have 31,103 to choose from. I have one that I know you may remember—John 3:16. Now, I want you to do this in your Bible. In place of “the world,” place your name. For God so loved your name, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Your name is significant. John’s letter to you has an eternal purpose He wants you to discover.

Now, allow God to love you through his Son and by his Spirit. Let’s live His love letter to the fullest!

—

Randy Wolff

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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at linksplayers.com.