Grow Strong in Love

Devotional Contributor: Jordan Acer

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Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the LORD you God with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your might.”

Observation:

Are you loving God with everything? I mean everything. Your heart, soul and all of your might.  I am not going to define heart, soul, and might here but I encourage you to contemplate what it means to love God with the entirety of who you are. Loving God with your whole being. Have you ever felt deep deep love for another person? Maybe you are married and you know how personal and intimate love for your spouse can be. That is a deep, passionate love. God wants all of that and more. He wants your everything. How do you give Him all of your love? How do you love God who is Spirit? Well, as it says in John 4:24, those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. There is a different stratosphere of love, a spiritual love, which is set apart and only for God.

Application:

To love God is to Put Him First (Exodus 20:3)

To love God is to Know Him (1 John 4:7-8)

To love God is to Obey Him (1 John 5:3)

To love God is the Worship Him (Luke 4:8)

To love God is to Serve Him (Joshua 22:5)

To Love God is to Trust Him (Psalm 37:4-5)

To love God is to Love Others (1 John 4:20)

Request:

Dear God, Abba Father. You are my Creator. You loved me before I was born. You know my heart and know how much I want to be able to show you love in return. Please Holy Spirit come dwell in me and allow me to feel your nearness. I love you. I want to obey you. You are the deepest desire of my heart. Your love fills me and is all I need. Thank you for loving me first so that I can love those around me. Strengthen me through your love so that the world around me may know how much you love them. I pray all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ who gave His life so that everyone may know and experience your great love. Amen.

For further study and encouragement: 1 John 4:7-19