Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world– the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does– comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (NIV) 1 John 2:15-17
“We are not primarily put on this earth to see through one another, but to see one another through.” –Peter DeVries
Valentine’s Day brings out the spirit of human love in all of us. Suddenly, we wax poetic, composing rhymes that only best friends and family would adore. We shop for hearts adorned with rabbits, bears and puppies looking sweet and cuddly. There are roses packaged in cellophane and beautiful floral arrangements delivered to our door. It is a time of giving and sharing. It is the way we say, “I love you, and I want to give you something special.”
God is the original cupid. Surrounded in heaven by angels strumming harps and the most beautiful flowers “that” side of paradise, He thinks about love 24/7. We know this to be true because He has sprinkled earth with gorgeous vegetation, adorable animals and incredible scenery from the tallest peaks to the greenest valleys. Then, in what is still beyond our wildest imagination, God made man and woman from the dust of the earth. From the first days, the humans got into trouble, but God stayed with them and guided them and their descendants through the highs and lows of human experience. Unbelievably, our forefathers are Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Sarah, Eve, David, Job, Paul, John, Esther and Noah. . .just to name a few!
If our story ended here, we would know that God loves us. But God had one more special delivery. On a star-studded night in the little town of Bethlehem, God gave us His son, to live among us and to die for our sins. It is more than we can understand; it is love greater than we can express; it is God’s valentine.
Humanity wraps its love in red cellophane; it sticks hearts on teddy bears and buys expensive chocolates.
God wraps His love in swaddling clothes and lays Him in a manger.
Happy Valentine’s Day From God!
Written by Myra Smith used with permission
