The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3
Today is Valentines’ Day in the US and many other countries around the world. Legend has it that “Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.”
Yet, that does not explain why candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. Regardless of the origin and commercialization of Valentine’s Day, love is the main theme for that Day. The celebration of love is paramount for social order and spiritual well-being. Love is the fundamental force that governs all the laws of nature. After all, everything was created by the God of love.
Everything God does is centered on love. God’s love is not emotional. It is practical, logical, relational, personal, radical, spiritual, unconditional, indescribable, dependable, and faithful. This love reaches to the highest mountains and flows to the lowest valleys. It is indisputable because God’s gave His only begotten Son as a token of that love to be sacrificed for the salvation of humanity.
Love is God’s ultimate gift to the world. Everyone is loved by God, and we cannot reject His love even if we refuse to accept His gift of salvation through Christ Jesus. God only sees the world through the lens of love. Unfortunately, many people think they are condemned by God because of their sinful ways. They turn away from God because they assume He does not love them. Yet, we read in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
In today’s text, God is affirming His everlasting love for the children of Israel in their captivity because they thought God had forsaken them. God’s love is always greater than our failures and sinfulness. The Lord loves the righteous and the ungodly. He cannot stop loving us because He is love.
On this Valentine’s Day, you need to know that God is the lover of your soul whether you are single or not. Do not let anyone make you feel unloved, nor should you allow the hatred in the world to neutralize your love for others. Because God loves you, find the courage to love yourself and others. God saved you to reflect His love in the world.
Do not underestimate the power of telling someone, “I love you.” Those words can save someone from committing suicide, help a child succeed in school, restore a failing marriage, bless a single person who is struggling to find a mate, encourage a single mother struggling to balance life, work, and the pressure of parenthood.
Saying “I love You,” does not cost anything, but it is priceless for the mental and spiritual well being of us all. It is no wonder the word love is mentioned over 686 times in the New International Version of the Bible. God wants to make sure we know that He loves us. He also wants us to live a life of love so through us the people who are seeking love and feel unloved can find and experience His love.
Questions for Personal Reflection
Why is love so important to God?
Name a time when you felt God’s unfailing love for you?
Prayer- Blessed Lord, thank you for your love for me. I avail myself as an agent of your love to the world. Please remove all forms of hatred from my heart and help me to demonstrate love to everyone, in the name of the God of love.