The earliest known "valentine" is in the British Library in London, dated 1477. It was sent by a Margery Brews to her sweetheart. She signed it "MB" written so it looked like a heart. It seemed to have worked for the couple married and had a family.

It is lovely/marvellous to be loved, to know someone cares, someone understands that whatever pleasure of pain there may be, there is someone who we can talk it through with. This applies whether we are a child /teenager /grown-up, or even an old "wrinkly". People without love on the human level can be quite lonely.

The Bible has a Valentine Message older than 1477. It is this that God so loved the world that He sent and gave His Son - the Lord Jesus Christ - to be our Saviour from sin. Part of the practice to-day, especially when we are young, is to keep it secret who the Valentine is from, but God makes no secret of His love for us. It is openly displayed, blazed in big letters, "GOD IS LOVE", bestowed without conditions. God wants us to know He loves us, and He demonstrated it in giving His Son to suffer on the cross that our sins might be forgiven. God has decreed that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, and Christ gave His life to achieve this for all who will come to God by Him. This is love in action, not us loving God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven. May we respond to God's everlasting love by coming to love Him and surrender our lives to His service.

Do contact us if you want further help in coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour from sin.