Faith: God's valentine

PINE RIVER — When I was in grade school, we celebrated Valentine’s Day by giving each classmate and teacher a valentine card.

We would go to the 5 & 10 cent store to pick out a variety package of valentine cards and pick from them to give to each student and to our teacher a card of our choice with special meaning.

We also got valentine candy. In school we made valentine containers out of shoe boxes and decorated them with colors of red, pink and white and cut out hearts with our names on it and put on the box so we knew who we were giving our valentine greeting to.

We learned how to give, how to love and to have a personal relationship with each other. Sometimes those valentine cards lead to real love and marriage.

Valentine’s Day should also remind us of the gift of God to mankind and the true love of God in our life and hearts.

In the Bible in the book of Song of Solomon 5:9-16 is a love story about Solomon and his wife the Shulamite woman. These verses parallel with God and Israel and Christ and his bride.

This Song of Solomon, which is a book of poems, is also called the believer’s love song. As you read it, see the references to our Lord and Savior as He shows His love to us.

The Shulamite, a beautiful country girl who yearned for her lover during his absence, is being asked by the daughters of Jerusalem this question: "What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women?”

Out goes a valentine from this Shulamite woman, as her lover's absence only makes her heart grow fonder for her lover as she goes on to say: “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.”

The parallel here is Christ is white, meaning pure and holy, and He is without sin. He is ruddy (red) as His blood was shed for us to wash away our sins.

His head is of pure gold representing supreme leadership, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, showing His wisdom and knowledge far above any other and His wisdom is solid and everlasting.

His legs are as pillars of marble, strong and solid. For the Son of God bore the weight of the sins of the whole world. His mouth is most sweet, showing His affections for His people by expressing His love for all mankind.

Jesus came to earth to select a bride, a called out people, which are those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior.

One day Christ is coming to get His bride called the church (singular). The church, which is the called out body of believers (plural).

Do you (singular) believe? Are you part of the church (not a demonination)?

The only way to be part of this church is to have a personal relationship with Christ by asking Him to forgive you of your sins and be the Lord and Savior of your life.

Would you be His valentine today by asking Him to be your Savior?

Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

May this be your best Valentine’s Day ever.

Roger Braaten is interim pastor at Pine River Baptist Church.