Verse for Today
“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Reflection
We know that God loves us through His words and through His actions. But as the old saying goes, “Love is a two-way street.” A marriage where only one spouse does all the loving will not last. Likewise, God expects us to love Him with a love flowing from the greatest love, His undeserving, unconditional, sacrificial love for us.
In the same way, we can show our love for God through our words and actions. If we say that we love God but do nothing to support that claim, do we really love Him?
He commands us to love Him because He knows we need that reminder, but we cannot just say that we love Him without somehow living out that love.
We can speak our love for God through praying, worshipping, and sharing the truth of His word. All of these forms of communication tell God verbally how much we love him. God has first loved us, so we now can love Him and tell him so in a variety of ways.
We can put out love for God in action by obeying Him. Jesus himself said in John 14, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The way to live out our love for God is to obey Him.
It is like a child who adores their father and wants to do everything possible to please him, not because the father demands perfection, but because there is mutual love and affection.
God knows our love for Him will not be perfect. God’s very nature is entirely loving, but though we are created in His image and have love within us, sin is a part of us as well.
We will fail to love Him and follow His commandments as we should, yet His love for us is complete and covers all of our sins and shortcomings.
We can rest in His love for us, especially when we fall short of loving Him.
Prayer
Gracious Father, your love for me is evident through your words and your actions. I know that you love me and that you command me to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I do love you!
I want to declare my love for you right here and now. I love you with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, though I know I don’t do it perfectly. I love you because you first loved me, despite my sin and unworthiness. I love you because of who you are and what you have done, despite who I am and what I have done.
I know that I just can’t say that I love you - I need to show you that I love you through my actions. Your word says that those who love you will keep your commandments. I confess that I have failed to keep your commandments, especially the two most important ones that I am learning more about here.
Forgive me for not loving you in perfect obedience.
I am not capable of following your commands perfectly. That is the point of your law, to show me that I need a savior. You provided me a savior, your own son Jesus, who you sent to the world to die for my sins because you love me. Thank you for providing me the way, the truth, and the life.
Thank you that your love is enough. While my love for you is inadequate and flawed, your love for me is complete and perfect. I am not love, but you are, and in that I can rest and rejoice. Show me how to love you more, because you are so worthy of it. In the name of Jesus my savior I pray. Amen.
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