Weekly Devotional: The Love of God in the Light of Valentine’s Day

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8

We often think of Valentine’s Day as the day for couples to show their love to one another, but rarely do we use the day to remind us of God’s unmatched love for us, His children. For many single people, Valentine’s Day can be a bitter reminder of their singleness and desire for a relationship. Luckily, God doesn’t leave anyone, single or in a relationship, out of His unending love and grace.

In 1 John 4:8, the author says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God is love itself. We wouldn’t have any conception of “love” at all if it weren’t for God, the definition of love.

God further defines love in the classic 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 passage that reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

God describes love in this way, and then tells us that He is love. This further emphasizes that God himself is all of these things.

God is patient and kind. He keeps no record of wrongs. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. God’s love is a perfect love that no one on earth could ever emulate.

We often read this 1 Corinthians passage near Valentine’s Day or at weddings to remind us what love should look like, but God is the perfect demonstration of it.

John 3:16 says, “or God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

He gave up His only son for us. He gave us eternal life because of His great and unmatched love for each of us.

The theologian C.S. Lewis once said, “He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”

God loves you so much. If you were the only one on earth He still would have sent His son for you.

So this Valentine’s Day, remember to set your sights not on earthy relationships, but on the God above who loves far more fully and abundantly than we could ever imagine.

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