As February 14 approaches so does Valentine Day. It’s all about hearts and flowers and love. In every store we see Valentine cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and huggy stuffed bears saying, “I love you.”
It’s a happy, fun time for many and an opportunity to celebrate that special person in your life. But for some of you the advent of Valentine’s Day magnifies the pain that already eats away at your heart. Focusing on love is the last thing you want to do.
If that’s where you are today, raise your eyes above the frills and flowery language. Let your heart rest in a prayer to the One who will love you forever.
The human love we experience here on earth is a mere shadow of the deep and eternal love that will never disappoint and always hold us close. By looking up instead of inward, we can chase away those fears of rejection by earthly lovers and embrace the true lover of our souls.
The author of love stands ready to enfold us in His arms. He is always ready to give and receive our love. He will never leave us. His is the pure, unconditional love we long for, but will never find on this earth among fallen humankind.
Who else would pursue us through eternity to give us life by subjecting Himself to his own death? Who else is so intent on giving us joy that He would take upon Himself intense sorrow and pain so we can live with Him forever?
Not only will he never leave us, He has literally turned the world upside down so we can be with Him. He longs to be with us so we can enter into the wonder of an eternity He has prepared for us.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul pleads for us to understand this when he says: “I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.” (Ephesians 3:17-19 Living Bible)
Cling now to these words. Fill your mind up with this incredible truth. Open your heart to Paul’s prayer in Ephesians and accept God’s deep and wondrous love that is meant for YOU.
Can you truly wrap your mind around, “How long, how wide, how deep, and how high [Christ’s] love really is?” How amazing this is! How incomprehensible. This Valentine’s Day meditate on these words. Let God’s deep love embrace you.
If you look up instead of inward, as my grandchildren often say, “It may be the best Valentine’s Day ever.”
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
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If Valentine’s Day is a hard day for you because of a marriage that is broken, my new book, Fighting for Your Marriage while Separated, may give you the hope you need to regain the love you thought you’d lost.
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