Well, folks, here we are on Valentine's Day again. As I was running over Conic Hill last night, thinking about this devotional today, running past the SPAR grocery store in Drymen, the shop is full of hearts and flowers, cards and candy. But let's take a moment and turn to the Word of God, because that is where we find the real truth about love and we will let the words speak to you.
Now, Valentine's Day goes back to a man named Valentine, a believer in the early church, probably a pastor or bishop in Rome around the third century. The story is that he was put to death for his faith, maybe because he was marrying young Christian couples when the emperor said no more marriages for soldiers, or just because he wouldn't stop preaching Christ. The church remembered him on February 14th as a martyr who stood faithful to the Lord even when it cost him his life.
Later, the church made it an official day of honour for him. There's some talk about old Roman festivals around that time of year, but the heart of it is a brother in Christ who loved the Lord enough to die for Him. That's worth remembering.
But today, it's mostly about romantic love, sweethearts, dates, and proposals. All that is fine, as long as we see it in the light of what God says. The Bible has a lot to say about love, marriage, and even about being single. Let's look at it simply, straight from the Scriptures.
First, marriage is God's good idea from the beginning. In Genesis 2:24 it says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." That's the foundation, one man, one woman, in a lifelong commitment. God designed it that way to reflect something beautiful ~ Christ's love for His church.
The Song of Solomon is a whole book celebrating that love between a husband and wife. It's poetic, yes, but it's real, full of affection, admiration, and the joy of coming together in marriage. Early on, it seems to picture Solomon and his beloved bride, before all the troubles later in his life. Listen to this: "You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart With one look of your eyes... How fair is your love, My sister, my spouse!" (Song of Solomon 4:9-10). And Proverbs adds, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22). Or this one: "Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth... And always be enraptured with her love" (Proverbs 5:18-19).
In the New Testament, Paul tells husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25). That's sacrificial love, giving yourself for her good, no bitterness, no holding back. Marriage isn't perfect because we're not perfect, but when it's built on Christ, it's a blessing.
Now, what about those who aren't married? Maybe you're single, or widowed, or you've been through a divorce, and the pain is still there. Valentine's Day can feel hard for you.
But listen, singleness isn't a curse. The apostle Paul, who was single himself, said it's actually good in many ways. In 1 Corinthians 7 he writes, "It is good for them if they remain even as I am" in verse 8, talking to the unmarried and widows. Why? Because "He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord... that you may serve the Lord without distraction" see verses 32-35. Paul saw singleness as a gift from God that lets you focus fully on the Lord, no divided heart.
Jesus was single. Paul was single. Many faithful servants have been single. And God doesn't leave you alone in it. He says, "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed" Deuteronomy 31:8. Or Psalm 68:6: "God sets the solitary in families." He puts the lonely in the family of God, the church. And in Isaiah 54:5, to the one feeling desolate: "For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name." That's tender, God Himself steps in as your companion.
But the greatest love isn't the romantic kind. It's God's love for us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16.
He loved us first, when we didn't deserve it. Nothing can separate us from it: "neither death nor life... nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:38-39. And "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" 1 John 4:16.
So on this Valentine's Day, whether you're married and rejoicing in your wife or husband, or single and trusting the Lord in your season, remember this ~ the cross is the greatest expression of love ever. Jesus gave His life for you. That's love that never fails.
May the Lord fill your heart with His love today, everlasting, unchanging and perfect.
Add comment