The Most Extravagant Valentine’s Day in History
What if there’s a Valentine’s Day unlike any we’ve ever known?
Perhaps your memory bank holds a special Valentine’s Day. One that’s near and dear to your heart.
Maybe a special someone entered your life, you received a marriage proposal from the love of your life, or your spouse went over the top to celebrate your love.
Even a sweet childhood memory may still captivate us.
Or, your memories surrounding this love-holiday uncover feelings of emptiness or a lack of love. Memories from childhood to the present you’d rather forget.
Because many of us have experienced both highs and lows regarding Valentine’s Day.
But the most lavish, epic, and monumental Valentine’s Day to ever take place in history, celebrates the best kind of love—extravagant love.
The most lavish, epic, and monumental Valentine’s Day to ever take place in history, celebrates the best kind of love—extravagant love. #love #Valentine #ValentineWeek Click To TweetExtravagant Love Defined
First, let’s look at what love is and what love is not.
And the Bible contains some of the most powerful and beautiful words ever penned on love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)
What Love is Not
God’s Word helps us wrap our heads around this kind of love through compare and contrast from 1 Corinthians 13.
Love is not: envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring to others, self-seeking, easily angered, keeping a record of wrongs, and delighting in evil.
Ouch! I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of all.
Yet, God’s extravagant love remains our only hope for overcoming these unloving attributes. And when we truly live the crucified life—Jesus living in and through us—the Spirit wins over our flesh more and more often.
What Love is
1 Corinthians 13 clarifies the wonderful qualities of extravagant love.
Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing.
Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing. The Creator of love always wanted us to know and show real love. #love #Valentine #ValentineWeek Click To Tweet
Although our Lord remains the only one to perfectly love as described here, Paul penned these words through the Holy Spirit. And the letter was for the church in Corinth and for God’s people today.
The heavenly Father never left us hanging by only cuing us in on how not to love. No, the Creator of love always wanted us to know and show real love.
Extravagant Love Story
Merriam-Webster online defines extravagant: “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity; lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint; extremely or excessively elaborate, unreasonably high in price; spending beyond what is necessary.”
Wow! Have you ever experienced this kind of Valentine’s day?
Whether you have or not, a time in history marks the most extravagant love-day ever. It exceeded reason and showed no restraint and came at a high price.
Most Extravagant Valentine’s Day Ever
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.
When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary's cross. A day of love. #love #Valentine #ValentineWeek Click To Tweet
A day of love. The most extravagant Valentine’s Day in history.
Jesus is calling, “Will you be mine?” Do you belong to Him? Do you know His love?
Beat the Valentine’s Day Blues: Here’s How
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Candidly Christian and Faith On Fire.
© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
His love is precious. I am thankful to be His daughter.
Me too, Melissa. We are loved by our heavenly Father.
Karen, loved this post! Especially this: When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.
That’s the real love we need to celebrate everyday!
Thank you! Oh, how He loves you and me!
Yes! This is such an important message. God loves and expresses love for us everyday!
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)
God’s love for us is truly extravagant, Karen! I’ll take Him as my one true Valentine each and every day of the year.
Blessings!
So will I, Martha. I remember when Jesus pursued me with the invitation to be His and belong to Him!
As much as I think upon The Song of Solomon and the book of 1 Corinthians when I think of God’s love, the truth is that it’s throughout His word. Why? Because He is love! Thank you for this beautiful and heartfelt post. You warmed me up nicely this morning, with God’s love.
So true, J.D. Love is not only something God does, but also who He is.
Love, love, love this quote!
“When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.”
Thank you, Ava. A day of love. The most extravagant Valentine’s Day in history.
A beautiful day to you, Karen.
Thank you, Susan. Remember you are loved. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
I’m so grateful for God’s extravagant love. Thank you for the beautiful reminders.
I am too, Beckie. Praying over you. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)
It’s so wonderful that God’s love is perfect. He never misunderstands. He never takes a misstep.
Nope. His love is higher and wider and deeper than any human love and without limitations!
This quote! “When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.” This is such a powerful and beautiful way to explain what Jesus did for us on the cross and is especially pertinent with Valentine’s Day a mere three days away. What a vivid way to remind us all that the plan of salvation involved intentionality, planning, and a turning away of the Father from the Son as he bore our sins and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It was necessary that God draw back that bow. Jesus was forsaken and died in that moment. Then, thanks be to God for the resurrection!
Thank you, Melinda. God’s plan to rescue us began with love and spilled out in the form of blood on the cross! “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
A beautiful post on the greatest love of all. Thank you, Karen.
Cathy, it’s the most beautiful love story ever!
Karen, you list what love is not and then share how sometimes you have been guilty of them all. I can so relate. It’s the ugly side of Marcie. It’s the side that needs Jesus. For we cannot love the way Jesus loves without Jesus loving through us. Our love is so limited and often misunderstood by us and others. But you add a beautiful truth to what you said, “God’s extravagant love remains our only hope for overcoming these unloving attributes.” What a beautiful Savior we have! To reside within us and work his love through such failing mortals as we are!
I know, Marcie. We fall so short in the love department. But the love Jesus extends to us, is extended to others when He continues to do a work in us. Help us, Lord, love like You!
Yesterday I was preparing a lesson for our kids on Sunday morning and was overwhelmed with the beautiful truth of John 4:10.
Michele, we could just park here at that passage for a long while and still never fully comprehend the depth of it.
I, too, am guilty of doing what love is NOT, but I strive daily now to do and be what love IS, patient, kind, rejoicing with truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing. Great blog, Karen, and great reminder this time of year about what real love is.
Jessica, I’ve often wondered why the verse starts with Love is patient. Perhaps, patience with others helps us also love them with kindness, truth, trust, hope, etc.
Oh Karen, this is a much needed teaching as we head into Valentine’s Day weekend. Our world tells that love is lust, sexual, self-centered, self-glorifying, surface, based on feelings which ebb and flow. So completely different from the love God teaches in His Word and the love Christ has demonstrated on the cross. I am so grateful to be found in Him, to be saved from the deceptions of this world which never satisfy. Oh what a Savior!
Agree 100%, Melissa. The world’s definition of love leaves us unfulfilled and emotionally empty and lacking. But God’s love trumps all other love. What people made fake about love, God made true!
Wonderful post for Valentines Day. Jesus sets the highest standard for us as he shows us his great love for us, and 1 Corinthians 13 helps to spell out how to love. It doesn’t get better than this.
Although we see many passages about love from Genesis to Revelation, 1 Corinthians 13 often stops us in our tracks of attempting to define love by human standards.
Karen, thank you for this piece. As a single woman, I cringe this time of year when the world tells me I am less-than because of my singleness. Praise God for His love and that He loves me in spite of my sins.
Glad this encouraged you, Regina. And agree, the world has made love and Valentine’s Day about something God never intended to meet our deepest need for love.
Karen, beautiful post filled with reminders of God’s love for us!
Thank you for commenting, Mary. Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing. Hallelujah!
I had never thought to divide the aspects of love in 1 Corinthians 13 into the positive and negative before. That really helps highlight the differences. And yes, I am guilty of all the negatives, too, but praying for all the positive aspects of God’s love to flow through me. And to think that God’s love begrudging or just barely enough–it’s overabundant. What joy!
Barbara, I know looking at what love is not then what it is, helps me understand why God created love and what it’s supposed to look like in our lives.
His love is amazing. Thanks for the wonderful encouragement Karen.
God = Love!
Jesus-Yeshua Loves Me This I Know~> ( https://kristiann1.com/2019/09/30/jesus-yeshua-loves-all-the-children-of-the-world/ )!!
( John 3:16 KJV ) “For GOD so LOVED the World, that HE Gave HIS Only Begotten SON, that whosoever Believeth in HIM should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.”!!
( I Corinthians 13:13 KJV ) “And now Abideth FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY ( LOVE ), these Three; but the Greatest of These is CHARITY ( LOVE ).”!!
( I Peter 4:8 KJV ) “And above all things have fervent CHARITY ( LOVE ) among yourselves: for CHARITY ( LOVE ) shall cover the multitude of sins.”!!
( Romans 8:28 KJV ) “And we know that all things work together for Good to them that LOVE GOD, to them who are the Called According to HIS Purpose.”!!
( I John 4:18 KJV ) “There is no fear in Love; but Perfect Love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made Perfect in Love.”!!
( Ephesians 3:19 KJV ) “And to know the LOVE of Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua, which Passeth Knowledge, that ye might be Filled with All the Fulness of GOD.”!!
( Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV ) “And thou shalt LOVE the LORD Thy GOD with All thine HEART, and with all thy SOUL, and with all thy MIGHT.”!!
Our ONE True GOD’S LOVE 💕 is ETERNAL THROUGH HIS SON Christ-MESSIAH Jesus-Yeshua for Today and Everyday Forevermore Everyone!!
I Love you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because HE LOVED EVERYONE FIRST!!Praise Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday!!
“Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only GOD keeps You Going.”!! Amen-Amein Praise Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua Hallelujah!!
Hallelujah and Maranatha JESUS-YESHUA CHRIST-MESSIAH LOVES ME this I know!!
Love 💕 Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
Praise the Lord for His love freely given to us all!
Thank you for such a great reminder of God’s unfailing, never ending love for us!
Sharon, oh, how He loves us!
I enjoyed this walk through God’s love which is so far beyond any love I can muster. This special Valentine’s Day for me was 40 years ago this month! Wow. 4 decades of ups and downs and learning about God’s love. Where would I be without Him in my life? Happy belated Valentine’s Day to you and your husband!
Thanks for sharing your personal most extravagant Valentine’s Day, Stephen! May we continue to grasp how high, wide, deep and long is the love of God!
Karen, what a perfect walk through of the greatest love story ever told. Blessings.
Glad this encouraged you, Paula! Thank you for commenting!
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