susan forrest

Airedale Church, Keighley writes

Valentine’s Day brings to many the excitement of choosing a card, chocolates or flowers for the one we love.

Whatever the choice there is anticipation and excitement — and maybe a little nervousness at what the response might be. There is a dream and a hope that things will work out and it will be the beginning of a new relationship or the enriching of an existing one.

Valentine’s Day is all about giving and receiving tokens of love. Love has to be given and received to be complete.

If the one you have dreamed about and desired rejects your gift then the result will be heartache and pain. But if the gift is received and appreciated then there is great joy and anticipation of a relationship that may follow.

Our creator, God, gave His love to us without reservation and He desires that we love Him and have an amazing relationship with Him. He knew us before we were born and He has a plan for our lives. God is not just a loving God but His very essence is love; Heaven and Earth cannot contain the love that He has for us.

God gave us the token of His great love for us when He sent Jesus to die on a cross for the sins we deserved to be punished for. He bore these so that we could go free and live an abundant life and know that we have a home in Heaven.

Just like us humans God is sad and heartbroken when the children He created refuse to believe in Him and go their own ways. He yearns over mankind with the token of His love and longs that we will accept Jesus. He will never stop loving us no matter what we do. He longs to heal sicknesses and put broken lives back together; to set people free from addictions. Will you accept or reject God’s token of love for you?