The late actor Telly Savannas played a lollipop-loving police detective in the television series, Kojak.  One of his signature lines in that role was, “Who loves ya, baby?”  This is a question that is important at any time, but is especially so on Valentine’s Day.  On days like this one many people profess their love for one another.  That expression may be in words or in deeds or in gifts, but the intent is to declare undying love for the object of one’s affection.

In the world these expressions may or may not be consistent with the daily actions of the one who makes them.  That is to say, a man or woman may say, “I love you,” to another, and shower that person with gifts on Valentine’s Day, but in the regular course of daily life their actions may say just the opposite.  Women are particularly sensitive to this inconsistency, and they are justified in being put off by it.  A woman wants her man to say, “I love you,” in the way he treats her every day of the year, not just on special occasions.  She wants him to say, “I love you,” with his lips, and with his actions.  If he does not, she knows in her heart that he really doesn’t love her.

What true love comes down to is consistently doing what is best and right for another in every circumstance of life.  It does indeed include saying the words “I love you,” but it also, and more importantly, includes what one does each and every day.  A young man may say the right words to woo a young lady, but if his words are only a pretense to lead her into ungodly behavior, they are a lie.  One who truly loves another will never do anything that would purposely hurt that person.  Neither will he lead that person into sin.  Anyone who does such things does not love.

This brings us to the most important answer to the question, “Who loves ya?”  As much as one may be loved by another here in life, there is one person who loves you more than anyone on earth is capable of doing.  That person is our Father in heaven.  He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins (Jn. 3:16).  He planned this from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-14).  Everything He has done, from creation until this very day, has been for the purpose of demonstrating His love for us in very possible way.

Our Father in heaven shows us that He loves us by having provided this world in which we live (Gen. 1).  He shows His love by providing for our every physical need (Mt. 6:33).  And He shows His love by providing the only means by which we may be saved and spend eternity with Him in heaven (Rom. 5:8).  We know God loves us because of what He has done.  Therefore, as John says in 1 Jn. 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Let us follow our Father’s example and always demonstrate our love for one another in everything we do, and by doing everything we can to help each other go to heaven.  Truly, there is no greater love that we may show.