Reflections of a Believer
For many, Valentine’s day is a day of joy and celebration. A day where people go above and beyond to show their love to others. But for some, Valentine’s day is a sad reminder of the year’s past and things lost.
That being said, I find it interesting how one day can conjure up so many different emotions depending on your life experiences. Joy, pain, sorrow, and love are all emotions brought on by Valentine’s Day. Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum of emotions, one fact remains, Valentine’s Day stirs up strong feelings in many people. One such feeling is love.
Now love is an interesting emotion. The Oxford Dictionary defines love as, “an intense feeling of deep affection.” Almost everyone can say they have felt this type of love at some point in their life, but I wonder, how many people have experienced true agape love?
What is agape love you ask? Agape is a Greek word which Britannica defines as the “fathertly love of God for humans.” In fact, agape love is the highest form of love. A love that transcends all of life’s circumstances. A love that fills you with hope and peace even when the things of this world seem to be emptying you?
This type of love, a love that can heal and restore, can only be found in one place and that place does not rest in another human being, in our circumstances, in our bank accounts, or in our memories. No, this freeing love rests only in God Himself.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 31:3 NIV, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
See, God loves us with an everlasting love. One that brings with it all the promises contained within His Word. As His child (1 John 3:1), we are equipped to meet the challenges we face head-on, with Him by our side.
The Bible tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 NIV This verse clearly states God is our refuge. He is our helper. He will help us through any hardship we face because of His love for us.
It is only when we lean into Him and begin to understand His love for us, we truly begin to comprehend how loved we are. 1 John 4:10-11 NIV says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” See God’s agape love has made a way for us to be set free from the worries of this life.
This does not mean we never feel negative emotions. What it does mean is, we will
never have to face them alone.
So today, regardless of which side of the Valentine’s debate you are on, I pray you know you are loved. Not just by the people you hold dear, but also by the Father that was willing to sacrifice His only son for you.
Father,
We come to you right now and plead the blood over everyone who is hurting. We pray you heal their broken hearts and allow them to feel your supernatural presence surrounding them this day and every day forward. We pray you give us wisdom and peace as we navigate these times.
We thank you for all of our blessings. We praise you for the love and joy we feel. We ask that you surround and protect us all. Amen
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