“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

One morning, when I was about 6 years old, my parents came to me and gave me some presents. I knew today wasn’t Christmas or my birthday; it was just another day. So why were Mom and Dad suddenly giving me presents? My parents explained that today was Valentine’s Day, and their presents were a physical reminder of their love for me. My parents and I continued this gift-giving tradition for many years.

Just two years ago, my husband and I celebrated our first Valentine’s Day as a couple. While we waited for our Italian dinner at Olive Garden, we had our own little gift exchange. I gave Tim a few small presents, and he gave me a small box. Inside there was a necklace featuring a smooth stone heart. The words “With All My Love, Tim” were engraved on the back of the heart. Tim’s loving and thoughtful gift made me very happy, and I still cherish it today.

I hope each of you got to do something special with someone you love last Saturday. Now I’d like to give you this little reminder: God is with you every moment of every day, and He loves you more than you will ever know.

God shows us this love in many ways. He has a divine plan for all of us, and He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. This means he will be with you through thick and thin. If you are concerned about something, or you just need someone who will listen to you, you can always pray to God and give all your cares and worries to Him.

These are all wonderful declarations of love, but I believe God’s greatest valentine to us is His own son, Jesus Christ. God brought His son into the world so he could take all of the punishment for our sins. God sacrificed His only son so that we could have an intimate and personal relationship with him. There’s no better expression of love than that.

If you haven’t yet forged your own relationship with our very loving God, please study His word in the Bible so you can learn all about Him. Then pray to Him, and tell Him that you accept His love and His only son into your life. I sincerely hope you’ll accept God’s valentine, which God freely gives, with all His love, to anyone who asks for it.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You may also send your donation to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870.

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If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.