I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;  he browses among the lilies.  Song of Songs 6:3

Our family was on a camping holiday in Prince Edward Island and one evening as we were rolling out our sleeping bags, Christie said to Matt, “You can’t believe the pick-up lines some people use. A few weeks ago I was serving this guy coffee (Christie worked at Tim Horton’s) and asked him, as I ask all the customers, ‘Can I get you anything else?’ and he said, ‘No thanks, I couldn’t afford you!’ I was so embarrassed.” “No way! What did he look like?” asked Matt. “He was old. It was like disgusting!” replied Christie. As our laughter abated, I said, “As pick-up lines go you’ve got to give the guy some credit. If you used a pick-up line what would you say?”

An animated discussion ensued. One of Matthew’s corny lines was, “Are those astronaut pants? Because you’re out of this world!” Christie’s pick-up lines weren’t much better, “Do your feet hurt? You’ve been running around in my mind all day.” And, “You are the reason women fall in love.”

Pick-up lines have been around for a long time. According to Mikey’s Funnies, Adam used these pick-up lines on Eve:

“You know you’re the only one for me!”

“Do you come here often?”

“Trust me, this was meant to be!”

“Look around. All the other guys around here are animals!”

“I already feel like you’re a part of me!”

“Honey, you were made for me!”

“Why don’t you come over to my place and we can name some animals?”

“You’re the girl of my dreams!” (cf Genesis 2:21).

“I like a girl who doesn’t mind being ribbed!”

“You’re the apple of my eye!”

With a full disclaimer against anyone who’s foolish enough to use them, here are some contemporary efforts:

Are you accepting applications for your fan club?

Excuse me, I’ve lost my phone number and was wondering if I could borrow yours?

You should be someone’s husband.

Were you in the Boy Scouts? You sure tied my heart in a knot.

I hope you know CPR because you took my breath away.

Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?

You’re so sweet.  You put Hershey’s out of business.

What does it feel like to be the most beautiful woman in this room?

Okay, I know. That’s more than enough! Pick-up lines are trite and pathetic at best. When you make yourself all honey the flies will soon devour you.

Which brings us to the Lord. He never uses hackneyed speech, flattery, twaddle, or twittering claptrap. He cuts through the superfluous, pierces the heart. When God says, “I love you,” it’s altogether different – without compare. Consider some of His lines:

“I am my lover’s and my lover is mine” Song of Songs 6:3.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” Jeremiah 31:3.

“‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord” Malachi 1:2.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” John 15:9.