When Valentine’s Day Feels Disappointing - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - February 5, 2026
It’s just another reminder that they can no longer surprise you with breakfast in bed, laugh at your jokes, or hug you close.
Valentine’s Day is a trail of ghosts for many people, whether it’s a loved one gone from this earth, a loved one who willingly left, or a loved one who only lives in wishes and dreams. So what do we do when this holiday leaves us haunted by pain and disappointment? Where do we turn to get through all the sappy social media posts and television ads screaming, “This is what you’re missing!”?
We cultivate meaning from heartache. We sow seeds of hope and let truth rewrite our narrative surrounding Valentine’s Day. We don’t run from the day. We take it back with joy.
You see, God didn’t make us to be ostriches, to stick our heads in the sand when life gets scary or uncomfortable. In fact, Scripture says we are to remain vigilant (1 Peter 5:8), to keep our eyes wide open for what’s around us. Thus, if we can’t go around reality, can’t go under reality, and can’t go over reality, we must go through it. We can’t duck and dodge the misery that’s rooted in our hearts. That’s an internal problem, not an external one we can separate ourselves from.
So what does cultivating joy practically look like this Valentine’s Day?
It looks like identifying the ways God grants you consistent delight. Is it thrift shopping, cooking a new recipe, or crafting? Do you enjoy orchestra concerts, local coffee shops, or trips to the nearby lake?
Make one or two of these things part of your Valentine’s tradition. Invite close friends, the kiddos, your mom, your dog, or whoever else brings you joy and is available.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, which means it’s not a natural part of our nature. We are bent towards worry, doubt, and depression. Often, this is a defense mechanism to protect us from further hurt, but it’s a faulty one because it never lets us move forward. Our hearts become hermits, and life leaves us isolated from everything—especially the good things.
Ask God to grant you joy this Valentine’s Day. Allow Him access to your bitter, skeptical, cynical heart. As you listen for His guidance and seek special ways to cultivate new Valentine’s fun, rest in the knowledge that joy is a gift that sustains. Will joy be challenged? Of course. But joy was meant to stay, to show up year after year for the mushy holiday that has always left you nauseously grumbling.
So go on, let joy in. Give her a chance. And see what God has in store for a willing, open heart this Valentine’s Day.
Let’s pray:
Father, for many of us, Valentine’s Day isn’t a celebration. It’s an annual reminder of dashed expectations, disappointments, and things that will never be. It’s a day that feels rooted in our past, an attack on our worth and our future. Regardless of circumstances and the enemy’s lies, give us the strength to seek your Spirit’s joy, to dig deep and actively discover ways you grant us beauty and goodness, no matter our life season. Above all, may we feel your loving presence like never before this Valentine’s Day. We praise your almighty name and thank you for gifting us a joy that forever stays. In your holy name we pray, Lord, Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/agrobacter
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Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
