From the Pastor's Desk (Feb. 2025)
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. ~Psalm 34:7-8
It’s intriguing how quickly stores transition from one holiday to the next. When going through Giant a few days before Christmas to get a last-minute round of Christmas
candy, I noticed that the Valentine’s Day aisle had already been set up. Such is life in the marketing world, I suppose. But seeing all the candy and boxes of the little Valentine cards took me on a trip down memory lane.
I remember Februarys in Elementary School were almost busier for the kids than
Christmas! We may have had a Christmas Card for the teacher or a gift exchange, but we didn’t do anything like we did for Valentine’s Day. The teacher would send us home with a class list of names, and we would have to prepare a Valentine for every kid in the class!
When it came time to sit at our desks and open our Valentines, I remember what really excited me. It wasn’t the number of Valentines I was given to open – they all kind of sounded the same after the first 10. It wasn’t the Valentines I got from the girls; I was a bit too young to appreciate that (5th grade was possibly the exception). But instead, my favorite Valentines were the ones accompanied by candy! Whether it was a lollipop, a piece of chocolate, or those boxes of Valentine Hearts – that’s what really made me excited about Valentines cards. The words were nice – but when it came to candy, I could use my sense of taste to truly appreciate those Valentines!
It is interesting how Scripture, in a matter of speaking, encourages the same as we reflect on the love God has for us. Think about it – how many times in a year, week – and in some cases, even a day – are you told that God loves you? Now don’t get me wrong, that’s one of the most important messages anyone could ever give you. But be honest – what do those words do for you? How many times have you shrugged it off? How many times have you struggled believing it, or appreciated it fully? How many atheists have laughed when told that God loves them?
But if only God could give us that message in a tangible way, we might think, it would be a different story. If only we could use our senses to detect that love – to smell the
undoubtedly aromatic presence of God, to see Him smiling at us, to feel Him hugging us, for our ears to hear Him say how much He loves us. If only we could literally taste His goodness, as Psalm 34 suggests, we might be able to appreciate those words of love more.
The day is coming when all believers will be able to experience this to their fullest satisfaction. But in the meantime, look around you. Smell the flowers that will be blooming in the next few months. See the wonders of His creation. Taste the sweetness of the fruit that pops out of the ground or onto the trees on schedule every year – and even what you can get from supermarkets in the dead of winter because of the abundance. Enjoy time with your family and friends who reflect the image of God, just as you do, especially as you find comfort in the warmth of their love – a love that is only made possible by the author of love, God Himself. Behold the words of scripture that remind us countless times of the love of God and reflect on the disciples’ experience of God’s love in the most tangible way possible, as His Son hung on the cross for you and me. There is no greater expression of love, as we are reminded in John 15:13. Indeed the best Valentines Day card we could receive this year is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s my February challenge for you. Happy Valentine’s Day!
~Pastor Eric
It’s intriguing how quickly stores transition from one holiday to the next. When going through Giant a few days before Christmas to get a last-minute round of Christmas
candy, I noticed that the Valentine’s Day aisle had already been set up. Such is life in the marketing world, I suppose. But seeing all the candy and boxes of the little Valentine cards took me on a trip down memory lane.
I remember Februarys in Elementary School were almost busier for the kids than
Christmas! We may have had a Christmas Card for the teacher or a gift exchange, but we didn’t do anything like we did for Valentine’s Day. The teacher would send us home with a class list of names, and we would have to prepare a Valentine for every kid in the class!
When it came time to sit at our desks and open our Valentines, I remember what really excited me. It wasn’t the number of Valentines I was given to open – they all kind of sounded the same after the first 10. It wasn’t the Valentines I got from the girls; I was a bit too young to appreciate that (5th grade was possibly the exception). But instead, my favorite Valentines were the ones accompanied by candy! Whether it was a lollipop, a piece of chocolate, or those boxes of Valentine Hearts – that’s what really made me excited about Valentines cards. The words were nice – but when it came to candy, I could use my sense of taste to truly appreciate those Valentines!
It is interesting how Scripture, in a matter of speaking, encourages the same as we reflect on the love God has for us. Think about it – how many times in a year, week – and in some cases, even a day – are you told that God loves you? Now don’t get me wrong, that’s one of the most important messages anyone could ever give you. But be honest – what do those words do for you? How many times have you shrugged it off? How many times have you struggled believing it, or appreciated it fully? How many atheists have laughed when told that God loves them?
But if only God could give us that message in a tangible way, we might think, it would be a different story. If only we could use our senses to detect that love – to smell the
undoubtedly aromatic presence of God, to see Him smiling at us, to feel Him hugging us, for our ears to hear Him say how much He loves us. If only we could literally taste His goodness, as Psalm 34 suggests, we might be able to appreciate those words of love more.
The day is coming when all believers will be able to experience this to their fullest satisfaction. But in the meantime, look around you. Smell the flowers that will be blooming in the next few months. See the wonders of His creation. Taste the sweetness of the fruit that pops out of the ground or onto the trees on schedule every year – and even what you can get from supermarkets in the dead of winter because of the abundance. Enjoy time with your family and friends who reflect the image of God, just as you do, especially as you find comfort in the warmth of their love – a love that is only made possible by the author of love, God Himself. Behold the words of scripture that remind us countless times of the love of God and reflect on the disciples’ experience of God’s love in the most tangible way possible, as His Son hung on the cross for you and me. There is no greater expression of love, as we are reminded in John 15:13. Indeed the best Valentines Day card we could receive this year is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s my February challenge for you. Happy Valentine’s Day!
~Pastor Eric
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