Assurance that You Are God’s “Valentine”
God is love, we find in 1 John 4:16b, but few understand that God adores each one of us so much as to theoretically claim us as His beloved Valentines. And even though we know God sacrificed His only begotten Son on a cross so that we can live in heaven with Him forever (John 3:16), a heart-felt grasp of the love connection is often missing. Such revelations may only come as we Christians walk with God through consistent prayer, Bible reading, and living a life of faith in which we are being conformed to His image (Romans 12:1-2).
Pursuing God with added passion helps, too. The first time I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, all doubt was erased that a very personal love for believers is the theme from beginning to end. The following are a few Biblical passages that show in the very first of the 66 books how loved we are by our heavenly Father.
God Formed Man
The world and practically all in it were created by the words of God alone. For example, in Genesis 1:3: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” In the same way, God created night, day, vegetation, land, water, and creatures on earth, in the sky, and in the seas. There is a departure from this approach to creation when it came to humankind and the Garden of Eden.
Rather than “speaking words and it was so”, Genesis 2:7 tells how God made the first human being:
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” -- Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
That’s so much more intimate and personal than having the first human spring forth from words.
God Planted a Garden
Then, in the subsequent verse, God gave a similar personal touch to the place where Adam was to live:
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.”—Genesis 2:8
The world was filled with vegetation at that time, yet God personally selected and planted the trees, shrubs, and every detail of the Garden of Eden. He created a beautiful home for Adam and soon-to-be-formed Eve.
God Visited in the Garden
It’s suggested in Genesis 3:8 that it may have been a habit of God to routinely visit Adam and Eve in the cool of the afternoon. So God didn’t simply drop them into the garden. He was there with them, often visiting them in a tangible way. This interpretation makes sense because God has given us the Holy Spirit, which is with us now and forever. He is with us, in our very hearts, ever since the Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
You are Loved! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love is the grandest, especially the love that comes from God. Any Christian who feels lonely or unloved this Valentine’s Day can take comfort in knowing that God’s love for you is off the charts, and He longs to spend time with you. Don’t be like Adam and Eve, who hid themselves from God after their sin. This is to separate ourselves from the best life has to offer. Instead, know that God desires to spend time with you, and He has planted you right where you are for a love-filled purpose.
