Each February, leading up to the 14th, every possible retail and online outlet will bombard us with images of hearts, flowers, and other gifts available for Valentine’s Day. Commercials will say, “If you really love her, you’ll give her diamonds.” Cupid sightings will be rampant. Everything seems to be turning red and pink.
Remember sitting at your desk as a child, waiting to see if that special someone would put a Valentine in your decorated cardboard box? Sometimes all the anticipation and expectation can leave your heart longing for love that is genuine, and not simply packaged or commercial.
Whatever Valentine’s Day has meant to you, here’s hoping that this year, Valentine’s Day finds you feeling loved by the One who loves you most. The very One who has put your name on his palm. Who has counted the very hairs on your head. Who has shown you love by sacrificing his only Son.
To give your longing heart a lift, why not look at a longstanding Valentine’s Day tradition in a new, life-giving way?
Over the years, candy conversation hearts remain a favorite to give and receive. So, what if you imagined God’s words to you on them? I’m sure they would be Valentines you would hold onto forever. Sweet to your very soul.
In honor of this year’s February 14th, here are 14 candy hearts from God to you, his beloved:
1. MY LOVE
God told us in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this…” And then he mentioned His Son. Truly, the love that God shows you is real. And in John 15:9, Jesus reminds you: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Design Credit: ©Bethany Pyle - Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/PhotoMelon
2. MY POEM
In Ephesians 2:10, God calls us His workmanship and in Greek, that word translated means poetry. We are God’s poem, and he knows us by heart.
3. SOUL MATE
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus tells us to love the Lord God with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind. The world tells us our spouses are our soul mates...but God truly is.
4. LEAN ON
Bill Withers wrote the song, Lean on Me, talking about how we can lean on our brother and he’ll give us a hand. The song tells us we all need someone to lean on. But if you’re going to lean on anyone with your whole heart, it should be on the Almighty One. The all-powerful, everlasting God. And he’s so big, that even when you lean with your whole weight, he doesn’t budge.
5. MY CHILD
God is your heavenly Father. Not only does he love you with a pure love, but he loves you enough to discipline you as it talks about in Proverbs 3:12 (because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in). Those that are loved are disciplined.
6. MY DELIGHT
Proverbs 12:22 tells us that God delights in those whose walk is blameless. And your walks are blameless when you trust in the sacrifice Jesus made for you. God finds you delightful.
7. COME
God invites you to come to him when you are weak and heavy-laden in Matthew 11:28 (Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest). And when you come to him...what do you get in return? Rest, pure rest.
Design Credit: ©Bethany Pyle - Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/PhotoMelon
8. FEAR NOT
Our heavenly Father knows we are sometimes afraid, and yet, he whispers to us that we don’t have to fear. It’s been said that God mentions fear over 365 times in His Word. Enough times for you to read one verse for each day of the year.
9. 4EVER LOVE
God tells you in Jeremiah 31:3 that he has loved you with an everlasting love. You are forever loved. It’s a love that will never end.
10. MY LAMB
God calls his people the sheep of his pasture in Psalm 100:3. You are his little lamb that the Great Shepherd gently leads through valleys and into green pastures, all the way home.
11. U R MINE
Isaiah 43:1 tells you that God has summoned you by name, and then he tells you, “You are mine.” To reflect on those verses gives me chills. To be summoned by name, by the very one who hung the stars in place. Wow.
12. NVR 4GOT
Isaiah 49:5 tells us that a nursing mother may forget her child, but that God will never forget you.
13. CHOSEN
1 Peter 2:9 reminds you that you are special to God: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. And every day you can look for God’s fingerprints on your life that continually remind you how special you are.
Design Credit: ©Bethany Pyle - Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/PhotoMelon
14. BLESS YOU
Ephesians 1:3 assures you that you are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
A Poem for You on Valentine’s Day
Your Valentine
You did receive a Valentine,
I know you did, for I got mine.
As thorns, not on a rose so red,
cut deep into my Savior’s head.
God gave us all his Valentine,
as skies grew dark that day,
When he sacrificed his Jesus,
on a hill so far away.
A Prayer to Receive God’s Love on Valentine’s Day
Lord, we lift ourselves to you. Father, you are so loving, so kind and generous and so giving. You didn’t spare your precious Son, but sacrificed him so that we could accept his blood as payment for our sins. Thank you for your great love. Thank you that you care about us so completely and love us so deeply. Thank you that you are preparing a place for us so that we can live with you forever. Lord, let our hearts be grateful as we think of your many blessings. Lord, this Valentine’s Day, help us to look for others to love and share about Jesus, the ultimate gift of love. We pray this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Laura Ockel
Anne Peterson is a poet, speaker, and published author of 16 books. Her most recent book is Always There: Finding God's Comfort through Loss. Anne has published 42 Bible Studies and numerous articles with christianbiblestudies.com. She has been a regular contributor to Crosswalk for seven years. Visit Anne’s website at annepeterson.com and sign up for a free eBook or visit her Facebook page. You can also subscribe to Anne’s YouTube channel where you can watch her recite her poems and share her heart.