I recently attended a wedding ceremony and vividly remember the pastor beginning the vows by saying, “This is not the most important relationship in your life.” That pastor’s message came back to my memory this Valentine’s Day.
It’s Valentine’s Day. For some, it’s a joyous occasion; for others, not so much. You may have a husband or fiancé who loves you with a romantic love. You may be surrounded by chocolates and flowers. You may have friends or family members helping you celebrate. I remember, as a young girl, wishing I could be the one receiving all the candy kisses and roses from the school Valentine’s fundraiser. Some girls received so many their desks couldn’t hold all the sweet treats and beautiful flowers. My desk? Not so full. In fact, I kind of dreaded this day, knowing I didn’t have a special someone to shower me with Valentine’s Day mementos.
I’ll never forget a conversation with my mom one day after school. I came home in tears because, once again, I hadn’t received any flowers or candy kisses. In her sweet, comforting way, she talked about what really mattered on this day. She reminded me that no form of human love could ever touch the depth, extravagance, costly value, and comfort of Jesus’ love for me. That was the love that truly mattered in my life. People might fail me in life, but God never would. His love would never weaken, take a vacation, or fail to lift me up. It would always be the most important relationship in my life.
As I listened to the pastor say those exact words to the young couple reciting their wedding vows, I smiled. He was so right.
I did some research and discovered that the word “love” is used in the Bible almost 700 times. But it’s reflected thousands of times in the biblical stories of God’s actions on our behalf. God’s love is abounding, not marginal, and He isn’t going anywhere. Over 200 times, the Bible mentions that His love is steadfast, and more than 50 times, it says His love endures forever (Psalm 136:1). No human love can make a promise like that.
One of the verses on my vision board is Zephaniah 3:17: “He will take delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you
with singing.” Think about that! Dancing and singing over us! Leaps of joy for the love He has for you and me. His heart is so moved with love for us that He bursts into rejoicing—not because we’ve done anything to deserve it, but simply because He loves us.
I will never forget the conversation I had with my mom that day after school. It carried me through many Valentine’s Days when I felt alone. But I wasn’t alone—not at all. Whether you love this Valentine’s season or dislike it, never forget: the love of your life is waiting for you. Grab hold of the love He wants to give you. May you fully receive the best gift in the history of the world—
God’s extravagant, unending love for YOU!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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