Do you love the Lord?
“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’” (Jn. 21:15 NKJ).
Jesus asked the question above to Peter while they were having dinner after His resurrection. He asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” He did not ask if Peter was sure about His love for him. This question is not specific to Peter. The Lord might be asking this question to some of us right now and saying, “I know you know and believe in My love for you. That is beautiful, but I want to ask if you love Me!”
The question above is not one that requires a verbal yes or no. Loving God is not merely having a deep affection for Him. Your attitude toward what God has told you to do is the evidence of your love for Him. If you love Him, you will want to please Him and you will do His commandments. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15 NKJ). You keep God’s commandments because you love Him and you want to please Him. When you love God, you surrender to pleasing Him and your life becomes an unending stream of the supernatural. The one who loves God considers the effect of his words or actions on the One he loves before he does them. Love the Lord your God with all your heart!
MEDITATE
Is our love for God important? See John 14:23.
APPLY THE WORD
Is there something you can do today to show your love for God at your home, job site, or school? For example, God is pleased when you are not grumbling at work or bitter with people. God is pleased when you are forgiving and kind to those who step on your toes at work, etc. Do you love the Lord?
PRAY
Ask the Spirit of God to continue to shed the love of God in your heart to love the Lord from now as never before.
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