Deacon Larry Souter, Sr.
Valentines Day- It is About the Heart
Psalms 139:23-24 - Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Vocabulary
Valentine’s Day – The holiday observed on February 14th as a day when people send Valentine's small gifts, cards, and mementos to their friends, relatives, loved ones and sweethearts.
Valentine's day is coming soon on our calendars. It is a day that reminds us of our heart conditions with our God our friends, neighbors and loved ones. Our hearts can be good perfect (Psalm 101:2), or they can be evil (Matthew 15:19). How steady and committed have you been? Think about it for a second since the age of eight (the age of reason) how many different Valentines have you had? How many have you given? Only God and you know the true answers.
James our Lord and Savior's brother said that we as true believers are made up of four parts mind, heart, spirit, and soul. The mind is the cognition part. It is how we think, and reason, and become aware of the facts. The heart is the comprehension part. It is how we have compassion and how we propose to help others. It is how we understand the facts (2 Corinthians 9:7). The spirit is our conviction part. This is how we touch and agree with God by way of his Holy Spirit. This is how we accept the facts. (Romans 8:9). And lastly, the soul is our commitment part. It is how we trust in what is reliable and dependable each day. It is how we live and move and have our being, our lifestyle. (1 Peter 1:22). When you put all four of these parts together, we get to understand how steady and committed love must be for it to be real and for it to last. The Bible gives us great example of love in the life of Jacob who become Israel.
Jacob's love example was three things great, sacrificial, and willing. It was great because he was willing to work for 14 years for his beloved wife Rachel, it was sacrificial because although he was cheated by Laban, he never cheated his father-in-law in any way fashion or form from beginning of his service until the end (Romans 5:8). And lastly, it was willing because he gladly served for Rachel and God blessed him. Amen.
Conclusion
Valentine's Day is much more than a holiday. Like David, it is a time for us to ask God to search our hearts for sin and point out to us how our hearts stack up to his thoughts and to his word. Also, it is an occasion for us to be true to these around us and show them our heartfelt affection, care, and concern. And lastly, it is a chance for us to have better relationships by the ABC's of discipline ship A-apologize when you hav
e done someone wrong. B-behave like in determined to be like a child of God and
- confess your sins and ask for forgiveness and then show fruits of your repentance. Have a blessed Valentine's Day!