LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
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(By Pastor Larry Burkholder)
Matthew 22:34-40
''But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all try soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as theyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
''Love the Lord Your God" is a phrase many of us have heard from our youth, either at the beginning of a Sunday school lesson or at its ending. I believe that the greatest relationship we can have in our lifetime is around our Lord who saved us from sin's penalty, power, and, one day, presence when we get to Heaven. There is nothing, nor should there be anyone, that can surpass the love of Jesus Christ showed for us by dying in our place on Calvary. He died in our place. Never should we take our relationship with Him for granted. We are to love the Lord through every area of our lives; and our devotion to Him should consume all aspects of our lives; As one commentator writes: "...moral, ethical, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.", indicating all that we are.
I ask a simple question: Is there any area of our life divorced from passion for Him? Another simple question: "Do we sincerely love and appreciate Him and show this by developing and maintaining a close walk with Him daily?
Love is much more than a feeling, it is a personal choice of the will to love someone. Gary D. Freel writes; "It is a commitment with the person loved - in this case, the Lord God of heaven." Our earnestly obeying Him shows the degree of love we have for Him. Our love for Him creates a deep desire to see benefit and blessing or blessedness come to Him. How deep is our desire for Him today?
Jesus stated simply: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Later in that same chapter we read; "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (14:21)
It is sad but true, many Christians do not love the Lord in this manner. They just seem content to have a distant, shallow walk with Him. Some even dare to be indifferent or unconcerned about their small or miniscule walk with their Lord and Savior. When we find that our passion for the Lord, His church, His Word seems trivial, be assured that our walk with Him is distant.
He does love you. He proved His love to you! Don't you think it is about time we prove our love for Him to Him? AMEN!
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