February devotion

A devotion for February

I write this devotion well into the beginning of the month. Already, everyone’s talking about Valentine’s Day – on the radio … everywhere!  In the newspapers special Valentines features appeared the first week of February.

However, the greatest love story ever written is, for us Christians, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus! Prefacing this wonderful revelation are many other  beautiful accounts about God’s love inspiring human love, recorded in the Old Testament. Some of my favourites  are the story of Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law Naomi, and the story of Esther -- who saves her people from the destructive wiles of Haman, the Prime Minister of Persia under King Ahasuerus. One of the most comforting and reassuring passages in the Old Testament for me is this short excerpt from Isaiah 49 verses 15 and 16: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?” Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands; …      We mustn’t forget one of the greatest love poems ever written and found in the Bible: The Song of Songs, attributed to Solomon.

The day after I wrote this brief reflection we will have celebrated a baptism in our congregation. The little baby, Finley, was conceived in love and will be officially received into our congregation with much love on that occasion. Of course love and God’s blessings … are not restricted to that moment in time during the Sacrament of Baptism. Jeremiah the prophet tells us God consecrated him for service as a prophet to the nations even before he was formed in his mother’s womb! God determined the salvation and redemption of the world long before we were born!

-- And God continues to love us even when we sin against God and even when we forget that we are as intrinsically connected to God through Jesus as a branch is to the vine –

Just today I heard a little ‘insignificant’ bit of trivia that speaks to my heart: In Finland Valentines Day has become ‘Friends Day’. On Friends Day you remember your friends and send them greetings. I like that! It invites us to include everyone, and discourages excluding anyone.

God has sent you a personal greeting and invitation to the wedding banquet of the Lamb and the Church at the end of time. RSVP now, if you haven’t already!   

Everyone’s welcome – especially you!       Amen