God Doesn’t Just Desire Your Good, God Desires You!

Valentine’s Day is here again, and with it comes the flowers, chocolates, and sentimental cards that celebrate romantic love. I vividly remember standing at the altar looking toward the back of the church and seeing Kelly in her wedding dress when the doors opened. 

Valentine’s Day is a time when couples express affection and appreciation for one another, and while that’s a beautiful thing, it can sometimes feel far removed from the deeper, more profound love we read about in Scripture. The Bible’s description of love — particularly agape love — often seems like a different category altogether. Agape love, after all, isn’t driven by fleeting emotions or romantic attraction. It’s a deliberate choice to put the needs of others ahead of our own, to act with kindness, patience, and self-sacrifice. So where, if at all, does Valentine’s Day love fit in the bigger picture of God’s love for us?

To answer that, we need to take a closer look at how God’s love is revealed in Scripture. Agape is indeed central to the way God loves us. It’s the love that sent Jesus to the cross for our sake, the love that forgives our sins, the love that invites us into a restored relationship with our Creator. Yet the Bible also paints a picture of God’s love as more than just a commitment to our well-being. God’s love is passionate and deeply personal. It’s a love that desires us, that longs for us, that pursues us with unrelenting devotion.

Song of Solomon, a book in the Bible, is a perfect example of this. At first glance, this book of the Bible might seem like an odd inclusion. Its poetic verses describe the passionate love between a bride and groom, filled with imagery that is both tender and intense. Why is this book in the Bible? Because it’s more than a celebration of human romance. It’s a reflection of God’s love for His people. The lover’s pursuit of his beloved mirrors the way God pursues us — not with cold obligation, but with a fiery, unshakable desire.

This imagery isn’t confined to the Old Testament. In Revelation, we see the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, “adorned as a bride for her husband” (Revelation 21:2, ESV). This is a picture of Christ and His church, of God bringing His people into perfect union with Him. It’s not a dry or distant love that we see here. It’s the love of a bridegroom who delights in His bride, who treasures her, who longs to be with her forever.

This Valentine’s Day, take a moment to reflect on the incredible truth that you are loved by God in a way that surpasses anything human love can offer. You are pursued by a God who not only desires your good but desires you. His love is not just about what He can give you — though He gives abundantly. It’s about who you are to Him: His beloved, His treasure, the one He calls by name… His bride.

I pray that you see yourself not only as someone God is looking out for like a Father, but someone whom God desires like a husband.