“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV)

Most of us, especially women, enjoy a good love story. Romance or love stories have a way of pulling on the heartstrings and reminding us that we are created as relational beings.

One of Tina Turner’s popular songs asks the question, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” Biblically speaking, the final answer is everything! Life was designed to be one big “love” story. We were created from love—to love. God planted a love seed in all of His children, which gives us the ability to express love and to receive love.

Before we could exhibit our love, we needed to see a demonstration of love. Thus, God made the first move and put His love on display when His Son suffered, bled, and died on Calvary’s cross. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This was the greatest act of love that the world will ever know (John 15:13).

Christ died that He might express who God is to us—Love. This act of love erases all of our excuses for not reciprocating the same kind of love. Hence, love is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38; 1 Cor. 13:13)

It wasn’t until God separated a special group of people unto Himself and rescued them from bondage that He began to command His people to love Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This command was repeated continuously throughout the Scriptures. Jesus reiterated it in the Gospels (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:29).

God didn’t want to cling to His love selfishly; he wanted a people that He could lavish it upon, and in return, they would reciprocate the same kind of love back to Him. I like the way Bob Sorge states it in His book, Secrets of the Secret Place, “[Jesus] died for one all-encompassing reason that He might manifest the graciousness of His glorious love to us, and in turn reap the extravagant affections of a lovesick bride. He did it all for love.”

And what is most interesting, God always followed His command to love Him with promises.

He told His people that if they loved Him, He would protect them, fight for them, provide for them, and show them special favors. Their only requirement was to put Him first and to devote their whole lives to Him.

We will never experience a complete life until we learn to express our love for our Creator. Everything we are and need is encapsulated in the expression of love. Loving our Creator opens the portals of heaven whereby a rainstorm of liquid love engulfs us and fulfills our every need.

What’s Love Got To Do With It?— everything my sister and brother. Life is love. God needs it from us, and we need it from Him.

There are different types of love — phileo, brotherly love, eros, romantic, passionate love, storge, familiar love, mania, obsessive love, pragma, enduring love, but the greatest love of all is agape, the God kind of love.

How do we know if we are expressing agape? Listen to what Jesus said to Peter.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17)

When we love God the way He commands, we will nourish and nurture those He has placed in our care. The agape within will be expressed without.

Pray…

Lord, give me a heart to love the way You do. Amen.

Posted by on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020 @ 12:28AM
Categories: Empowering, Encouragement, Inspirational