Let’s begin today by reading some scripture. Read the following!
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37
What are these passages saying to you? What do these passages teach us about following Jesus?
God loved us first and because of this, we can love him. Our love for God is our response to Him loving us. A love relationship with God is the very heart of following Jesus. Most of the difficulties we face can be traced back to our love problem. Loving God and following Jesus does not come naturally to us. It takes great effort for us. When we are not right with God nothing will be right in our lives. This is why Jesus said loving God was the greatest commandment.
Loving God isn’t a suggestion; it is more of a command that expresses God’s desire for us. God desires us to love Him with our whole heart. The very core of our being is to love God. God desires for us to love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. God chooses to love us, even when He lacks nothing. All He wants back from us is for us to love Him with our everything.
Why should or does God’s love for you motivate you to love Him?
Do you willingly choose to love God in response to His great love for you? Or is it dependent upon circumstances? Why should we love God independently of our circumstances?
God desires us to love Him with everything we have. God wants us to love Him sincerely, passionately, and willingly.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving each of us so deeply. Thank you for making us the only ones of your creation, in your image. Therefore, we get to return our love back to you. I pray that we will love you with everything we have – inside and out.
In Jesus name
Amen
