2001-02-14 - Valentine's Day

Too often I hear from many people who have been brought up in churches that preach only God’s wrath. They live in fear of God. Not a reverent fear, not a respectful fear, but rather a genuine phobia of a powerful God just waiting for them to mess up so He can zap them with a bolt of lighting. Our God is a God of infinite love. He is a God of Grace, Mercy and yes -- a God of Justice. This Valentine's day, I pray you will open your hearts to this God of immeasurable love and hear His quiet voice asking, “will you be My valentine?”

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

2 Chronicles 6:14 O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

Psalm 66:20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

1 John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 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. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Father, thank You so much for loving us no matter what. Help us to accept Your love and to love You and each other more and more each day. In Christ’s name. Amen.

David Massey

david@masseyre.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
http://www.peacewithgod.com

2018-02-15