by Sam

Oh, How He Loves Us: a Yoga Flow and Celebration of God’s Love.

This last Valentine’s Day, I really wanted to share the love that God has for my students with them. I wanted to stop, in honor of the ‘most romantic day of the year,’ and reflect and meditate on the greatest love we’ll ever know: the love found in Jesus.

This flow doesn’t have to be a Valentine’s Day flow, it can be a flow for any day. It doesn’t even have to be a flow at all. I think just reading over these scriptures and allowing them to marinate, and take root in our hearts, is the real work and the real good news.

Flow:

If you opt to use this as a yoga practice, I recommend a heart-opener heavy practice. Taking postures that open our hearts can be a physical symbol of our laying ourselves bare before the Lord, and help us to feel more receptive to the Spirit.

For example, rockstar, wild thing, camel pose, fish pose, crescent lunge with a backbend, etc…

Playlist:

  1. How He Loves – David Crowder Band

  1. God So Loved – Hillsong Worship

  1. One Thing Remains – Bethel Music

  1. Good Good Father – Chris Tomlin

  1. You Love Me Anyway – Sidewalk Prophets

  1. Your Love Defends Me – Matt Maher

  1. Furious – Jeremy Riddle

  1. You Say – Lauren Daigle

  1. Reckless Love – Cory Asbury

  1. The First Time – MercyMe

  1. Cannons – Phil Wickham

  1. How He Loves – John Mark McMillan

And then I saved the best for last 😉

Meditations:

I have been crucified with the Anointed One—I am no longer alive—but the Anointed is living in me; and whatever life I have left in this failing body I live by the faithfulness of God’s Son, the One who loves me and gave His body on the cross for me. I can’t dismiss God’s grace, and I won’t. If being right with Goddepends on how we measure up to the law, then the Anointed’s sacrifice on the cross was the most tragic waste in all of history! (Galatians 2:20-21 VOICE)

This is what I, the Eternal One, declare to you: My people who survived the sword found grace as they wandered in the wilderness; When Israel went in search of rest, I appeared to them from far away and said: “I have loved you with an everlasting love—out of faithfulness I have drawn you close. And so it shall be again, My virgin Israel; I will build you up, and you will be rebuilt. You will again take up the tambourine and join with those who are dancing for joy. You will again plant vineyards on the hillsides of Samaria; Your farmers will plant them, and you will enjoy the fruit yourselves. The day will come when those who guard the land will cry out from the hills of Ephraim, ‘Get up! Let us go to Zion, dear Jerusalem, and worship the Eternal our God.’ (Jeremiah 31:2-6 VOICE)

My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him. This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins. So, my loved ones, if God loved us so sacrificially, surely we should love one another. No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us. (1 John 4:7-12 VOICE)

We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us. God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world. Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishmenthas not been completed through love. We love because He has first loved us. If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he has never seen. He gave us a clear command, that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters. (1 John 4:16-21 VOICE)

For Your loyal love for me is so great it is beyond comparison.
    You have rescued my soul from the depths of the grave. But Lord, You are a God full of compassion, generous in grace,
    slow to anger, and boundless in loyal love and truth. (Psalm 86:13,15 VOICE)