Valentine’s Day. In our culture today, it marks the recognition of that someone special in your life. Flowers, chocolates, hearts, cupids, and love letters are all part of this celebration. We confess undying love to those who are important to us, relating to them that we would do anything for them.
So consider those who are special to you. Picture their faces and the relationships you have with them. Each of them has been created by God who loves you immensely – more than you could begin to imagine. Today, as you remember those you love, thank God for His many blessings of friends and family. And most important, remember the One who gave His only Son so that you could have eternal life – all because He loves you!
Does God have your whole heart?
Psalm 119:10a With all my heart I have sought Thee;
The heart encompasses the will and the intellect. All my heart means exactly what is says – everything in me strives to know God.
One commentary says we “must seek God; make earnest prayer and supplication to Him for Divine light, for a tender conscience, and for strength to walk uprightly”. All the while, with a whole heart – all our affections, (Adam Clarke’s Commentary).
Think of the difference between being fully committed to something and just somewhat supportive. The first means you are all in and ready to use your time, energy, and resources towards the fruition of a goal. The second is a bit sketchy. Maybe you will avail yourself to the cause if it works in your schedule or it does not take too much effort or sacrifice on your part. Often ‘lip service’ is the extent of a shallow commitment. There are examples and warnings throughout God’s word of those who lack a whole heart devotion to God. Consider the nation of Israel as they flopped backed and forth in their faithfulness to God.
Psalm 78:37 For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.
Their whole heart was not engaged in worship and prayer to the God who loved them. God does not want only a portion of our heart; He requires our entire being.
A common scenario we might see today is a couple having dinner or lunch with either one or both on a phone, talking, texting, or searching the web. One might wonder if they are really spending time together. I remember a specific instance when my husband and I were in a small café and a family walked in with three teenage children. They sat at a table near us, and we were immediately transported to a time of nostalgia when our children were about the same age. The conversation around a table at that time in our lives was often filled with laughter as each family member engaged in one other’s recall of a latest adventure. This interaction was an important part of growing close in our understanding of each other. As my husband and I glanced back at the group near us, we were disappointed to realize that although they were physically in each other’s company, each had in their hand an electronic device. There was deafening silence emitting from this family of five. They were physically present but their minds elsewhere.
Think of your relationship with God. Are you engaged with His truths, seeking to understand His word with ears that listen, fully devoted to His worship? Or is your mind elsewhere as you give only lip-service to His name?
Treasure the commitment and love you have with others. Hold them close and seek to be an encouragement. Recognize them as God’s blessings, and bow before Him in thankfulness for the gift of His great love. Offer your whole heart to His name for His glory.
Be hopefully devoted to Him – having the certain hope of a future in heaven with Him and a zealous commitment to do His will on earth.
Flash back to the spring of 1998. My first child was accepted into a college he had applied to. This was great news and this was not so great news as felt by a mother’s heart. This university happened to be located almost fifteen hundred miles away from home! Think the late 1990’s, before FaceTime was available to the general public. Keeping in touch was done by phone, email or snail mail. There was no snap chat or instant messaging, and pushing a “purchase” button on an Amazon shopping icon wasn’t familiar, if it even existed. We had cell phones but compared to the devices we have now, they were pretty slim in their options (however, not in their size!! They looked like big black walkie talkies with antennas, and forget fitting a phone into your jeans pocket!). Everyone we knew had land lines as their main phone connection.