Gary's Devotionals

10-19-10

“If you love me, keep my commandments… He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.
(Jn. 14:15-23).

Jesus defined loving God as being deeply rooted obedience. There is no such thing as loving God without seeking to obey His word. Love requires the wholehearted pursuit of obedience in both our attitudes and actions.

Each of us has a different struggle according to our personality and circumstances. Thus, we each have a different assignment from which we offer our gift of love to God. Saying “no” to sin gives us an opportunity to express our love to God. What God wants most is our response of love that is shown in seeking to obey His Word. Jesus wants love from us that allows Him to take total control of our lives to protect us and glorify us in His love as our place of greatness.

“You are worthy…for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and nation.” (Rev. 5:9) Adoration and gratitude to Jesus for His greatness and kindness is essential to love. With awestruck, grateful love, we adore Jesus and trust His wisdom, humility and power. He is the most deserving and capable Person to rule our life and the whole earth. We often take the wealth of God’s kindness so lightly. “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4) Love grows as we are moved by the truth of Jesus’ greatness and by gratitude in seeing the whole story of how He is treating us.

True love expresses loyalty to God’s Word instead of yielding to the fear of man. Love for God is loyalty to His truth as seen in Jesus. Our love must be expressed in alliance with Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of humanist sentiment. The Holy Spirit will glorify and exalt Jesus by guiding us into all truth about Him. There are three truths about Jesus we must hold firm to in defining who Jesus is and how we love Him. First, is His deity – His right to establish absolute standards for which the nations are accountable to Him. Second, the only way of salvation is through Jesus. Thirdly, He possess the wisdom and love to judge sin in time and eternity.

Finally, love is not passive but includes burning desire. We seek to love Jesus more than anything else. “For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Ex.34:14) The God who has everything wants us because He is love. He wants to take over our life and to consume us from the inside out as He determines our destiny and establishes our eternal greatness and joy. “Take up your cross and follow Me. Leave it all behind. Say goodbye to houses and lands for My sake.” This is the voice of a Bridegroom who gave all for the sake of love, as one who laid down His life for His friends, who loves us with all His heart, soul, mind and strength, and wants a people yoked to Him in this kind of love.

Blessings,

Gary