This is one of the most remarkable, and yet one of the most disturbing verses in the Bible. It is remarkable because it shows us that God loves us, and that He has passed His characteristics to us (Genesis 1:27). However, it is disturbing because it reminds us that we only love others, because God loved us. We only love God, because God first loved us.

In fact, I think it is fair to say, that we all fall short when it comes to love, especially loving God. We are told that love is patient, it is kind, it is not easily angered, and I think a lot of us look at these characteristics and pat ourselves on the back... but Paul continues to describe love by saying, "it is not self-seeking... Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." (1 Corinthians 13:5-6)

When it comes to our lives, we have all put ourselves first, made our desires a priority over God; we have all broken the first commandment- the greatest commandment- by worshiping our desires before His Word (Exodus 20:3). We have all failed to rejoice in truth, and to condemn our evil desires... we have failed to remember that Love is not self-seeking.

And yet, despite this, despite our failure to love, God still loves us (Romans 5:8). He is willing to forgive us (Micah 7:18) so that we may have a deep, intimate relationship with Him.

As we get closer to Valentine's day, there is a lot of talk about what love is, and how to show it. We talk about buying candy and flowers for our sweethearts, or a nice romantic dinner... but somehow the founder of love, God, gets left out of the picture.

We focus so much on the love that we have with others, that we forget that true, perfect love which only comes from God. We forget what He has done for us, and how He has, and continues to show His love towards us.

Today, think about what you can give God for Valentine's Day... think about how you can show your love to God everyday... and ask yourself, when was the last time you said "I love you" to God.