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Soap operas and certain popular songs make it sound as though love is nothing more than a fleeting feeling. Passion flares up, burns hotly for a short time, then fades, only to be replaced by another temporary flare-up that also burns out.

But think about a truly great love story. If it's fictional, it outlives its author. If it's historical, it outlives the lovers themselves. The sort of love it describes is literally stronger than death—and that's the sort of love we all long for.

What makes love so lasting that it can be called "as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave" (8:6)? Love lasts when it's rooted in the eternal God. When you understand God's eternal commitment to you, and when you make an eternal commitment to him, you can better understand strong and lasting human commitments. Then you can willingly promise to love forever and never trade your love for anything (8:7). (See also Genesis 2:18-23; Exodus 32:11-14; Hosea 14:4-8; Acts 18; Hebrews 13:4.)

Good Words to Remember:
[Love's] flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Song of Solomon 8:6

Today's Challenge:
Is your love conditional or forever love?

Bible Studies on Marriage