God is Love
On Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Reed’s students and Mrs. Bush’s students each had parties to celebrate the special day. But of course, they did not simply pass out valentines and consume large amounts of sugar (although those things did happen). The teachers made a point to talk about the most important love of all: God’s love. First John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This verse points out where and with Whom love begins. Love does not begin in any of us. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” We all have a sense of and desire for love from birth, but none of us possesses in him or herself the true love which comes from God: a love that benefits its object. Indeed, one of the most celebrated characteristics of the Lord is His love, and so especially on a day set aside to celebrate love in many forms, we look particularly to the love of the Father, and praise Him for the greatest act of love: the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for the redemption of His church!
As the Upper Elementary celebrated, they made light catchers in the shape of a heart to hang in the window. On the bottom of these they glued 1 John 4:10. It is so good to be reminded of the great love of God, even as the song writer has said, “the love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell; it goes beyond the highest stars and reaches to the lowest hell….O! Love of God how rich and pure. It shall forevermore endure.”
We hope that you all were able to celebrate or reflect on the greatness of the love of God this Valentine’s Day.