And over all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14
Umut is a wife and mother who lives in a village in the country of Kyrgyzstan. Her name means “hope,” and the hope of her heart is to hear the words, “I love you.”
For company, Umut listens to a small radio. One day she heard a speaker say that one of our deep emotional needs is to give and receive love. She listened intently to the words of God from the Bible that said, “ … put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). “Within every heart,” said the speaker, “is a love-shaped vacuum which needs filling every day. Children, teenagers, husbands and wives as well as older members of the family—they all have this same need.”
Inspired, Umut wrote the radio station. “We often listen to your broadcast. You are talking a lot about love; love among husband and wife, love to parents, love to our children. Somehow it is inspiring to love more and be loved. There is plenty of hardship in life, I often feel tired. I wish that my husband would also listen to your broadcast. I never hear words like “I love you,” or “I miss you.” It would be so good.”
Umut was comforted to learn, that despite the failings of human love, nothing could ever separate her from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39), that He “delights in her with gladness” and that His book says, “With his love, he will calm all [our] fears. He rejoice[s] over [us] with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17).
Have you had the privilege of learning of God’s love for you—or the practice of “putting on love” for another? If so, you can help others like Umut learn that God wants to fill that love-shaped vacuum of the heart. You can help send devotionals like this to millions around the world in their own languages. Give a gift today at guidelines.org
