Valentine’s Day – THINKING OUT LOUD

South Dakota has had unseasonably warm weather recently. That, combined with the fact that we have received far less snow than we had a year ago, meant that much of the snow had melted. In fact, I was observing the absence of snow yesterday and thinking how nice it was to see grass in February—even if it was not very attractive grass, given that it is a weird brownish-gray color.

This morning, however, I awoke to find that it was snowing again. It was not a shock, as the meteorologists had accurately predicted it. But within a few hours it had snowed enough that all of that grass I could see yesterday was no longer visible. It had been covered by the snow and the world around me was all white again.

That transformation, on Valentine’s Day, reminded me of the transformation that is made possible by the love of God. I wrote a post about that twelve years ago (you can find it here) so I will not go into detail about God’s Valentine. But God’s love for humanity caused Him to send His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in payment for our sins, and the forgiveness of sin is often symbolized as a stain being made white. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

That verse was, I imagine, the inspiration for James Nicholson’s hymn, “Whiter Than Snow,” and it was the lyrics to that hymn that went through my mind this morning, specifically the first verse and the refrain:

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul,
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Thank you, Father, for the assurance of knowing that “I shall be whiter than snow.”

Photo credit: “Footprints in the Snow.” Wikimedia Commons.

Today is Valentine’s Day. Depending on your age and/or your relationship status Valentine’s Day may have more or less meaning for you. After all, I know some people who look forward to it like no other day of the year, and go all out celebrating. I know others who think it is a ridiculous holiday made up by florists, greeting card companies and candy makers. And then I have other acquaintances who prefer to call Valentine’s Day something like “Single’s Awareness Day” or even “Let’s Make it Painfully Obvious You are STILL Single Day.”

Regardless of how you feel about it or whether or not you celebrate it, though, Valentine’s Day is, traditionally, a time when cards and/or gifts are given to express affection and love. And the truth is, God sent the world a Valentine more than 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Remember the simple little Valentine cards you would get by the box to exchange with all of your friends in elementary school? When I was in school I think G.I. Joe and the Transformers were popular among the guys. Now my children get cards with Disney’s Cars or princesses. But those simple little cards–often no bigger than half of a 3×5 card, could be counted on to contain a brief message, and space to write in who the card was “to” and “from.”

John 3:16 is God’s Valentine to the world. The verse tells us who it is “to” when it says “the world,” and who it is from when it says “God so loved.” It also tells us how God demonstrated, or showed, the world His love–“He gave His only Son” (ESV). God is the Giver, the world is the recipient, and His Son, Jesus, is the Gift.

Of course, a Valentine with my name on it only becomes mine when I accept it. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that God desires that all should be saved, and His Son has paid the price of our salvation through His death on the cross…but only those who accept God’s Valentine will know salvation.

So, regardless of whether or not you have a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s Day with today, regardless of whether you wore every red article of clothing you own or you intentionally boycotted the color for today, remember the ultimate Valentine. Remember God’s gift, remember Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and remember that it all happened because “God so loved the world.”