Happy Valentine's Day!!

We were very busy at the beginning of this month, and I never got around to posting my monthly devotional. In my personal devotions this morning, I happened to read my favorite verses in the Bible, and I decided I would post a short devotional this morning. You see, these verses just happened to be part of my morning reading today...but, of course, we know that there are no coincedences with God. Here is the passage:

Romans 8:31-39

31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?

32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God
that justifieth.

34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?

36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39 (King James Version)

Romans 8:38-39 are my favorite verses in the entire Bible. It is an indescribable comfort to know that nothing, nothing at all, can ever separate us from God's love. If we put our trust in people, people will let us down. Even the people that we love the most are still human; our Savior is the only One that we can always trust, we can always believe, we can always depend on...He will always love us, no matter what happens, no matter what we do, His love is forever.

Today is Valentine's Day. People will pledge their love to each other today, in many different ways. Some of the people will have grasped true love, the unchanging, constant love, given by God. Some have only a mere wisp of sentimentality that they think is love, and others are mistaking lust for love.

I don't know how people without the Lord live from day to day anyways, but it seems to me that Valentine's Day must be one of the emptiest, loneliest, most pain-filled days in the year for the unbelievers. Today, if they pull back the shroud and expose the things they think are love for what they really are, they would realize just how much they long for the true, pure, beautiful love that God offers.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

That's true love. That's what Jesus did for us. I beg you, if you are reading this today and do not know the love that our Savior offers, please, please, be reconciled to Him. Read your Bible -- read the Gospels and see His love shine forth. Talk with a pastor or minister, or with a saved friend; I have heard that there is even a hotline that you can call (1-888-NEED-HIM). Don't make excuses any longer -- make it right, now.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all, and may you be filled with the love that only He can give.