It’s getting close to Valentine’s Day—a day to think about love and romance. Your Valentine is typically the human that you feel the deepest romantic attachment to. Who is the object of God’s love?

John Piper was inspired to write the entire book, The Pleasures of God afterreading this statement by Henry Scougal: The worth and excellency of a soul isto be measured by the object of its love. The quote inspired Piper to considerthe object(s) of God’s love. 
 
The object of God’s love is Jesus Christ and the object of Jesus’ loveis God the Father. There is nothing Jesus wants more for us than to become apart of this kind of satisfying love. 
 
Jesus’ desperate desire for us to know our true Valentine was a part ofHis great interceding prayer for all believers in John 17:26:  I havemade you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that thelove you have for me may be in them, and that I myself may be in them.
 
Jesus prays that He will be our Valentine. He prays that we will have the samekind of love that the Father has for Him. If this was anyone else praying thisprayer, we would be appalled at the audacity of the thought. We would think,this guy is praying that I will love him the way his Father loves him. How self-centeredcan that be?
 
Yet, it is not self-centered at all.  We were created to love God. One ofthe most important ways we can display our love for God is to love His Son. Whenwe love Jesus, we are loving God.  It was hard for God to contain His lovefor Jesus; three times the gospels record His shout from heaven: This is my Sonin Whom I am well pleased!  When was the last time you wanted to shout abouthow much you love Jesus?  Does your love for Jesus move you more than yourlove for other Valentines?
 
I confess; I do love Jesus. But I don't love Him like God does. I haven't givenHim the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). I give Him my considerationin my daily quiet time. I'm surprised by Him when I'm not looking. I'm comfortedby Him. I rely on Him for my salvation and for my righteousness. But, I don'tcome anywhere close to loving Him the way God loves Him. What would happen inmy life if I loved Him the way God loves Him?
 
As I consider the object of my love, I have to say that Jesus often takes secondplace to my love for myself, my husband, or my children. What would happen inmy life if I truly focused on the love God has for Jesus and craved that samelove to be in me? Or, if I pondered the love Jesus has for God and prayed toHim the way Jesus did?  As you go through this day, consider the objectof your love and strive to see Jesus’ prayer answered in your life - thatyou could love Jesus with the love that God has for Him.