Do You Love God?

If you love Me…

I’ve recently started rereading The Devil’s Door by John Bevere.  It reveals how our disobedience to God and His Word brings deception into our lives and opens a door of legal access to Satan giving him the right to steal, kill, and destroy.  I would highly recommend this book to every Christian.  It is eye opening as it reveals how we can walk in victory over the enemy by our submission to God and His Word.

Today I wanted to focus on how our obedience to God is strengthened by our love for Him.  John 14:15 reads, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  A more accurate translation of the word “keep” in this scripture is “you will keep.”  So let’s read it again looking at it this way:  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  What this verse is telling us is this, if we will fall in love with God, we will be able to keep His commandments.  

If you love someone, you will show it…Whenever you love someone, you go out of your way to express your love—even if it’s an inconvenience.  When you love someone, you find delight in fulfilling his or her desires.  This is what causes a husband to run to the store at ungodly hours for his pregnant wife’s latest craving.  

Let’s take a look at David.  He was called a man after God’s heart.  We often quote the first part of this verse, but omit the most important part.  “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” (Acts 13:22)  “What gave David the ability to do all of God’s will?  He delighted in God’s commands. (Psalm 119:47)  He did not see God’s commands as restraints, but as bonds of his (love) relationship with God.” (The Devil’s Door)

When we fall in love with God with all of our hearts, we can obey Him.  Nothing else is more important.  We find pleasure in doing His will.  True love will also produce genuine repentance in our lives.  Our heart becomes broken when we disappoint the One we love.

When we fall in love with God, we find it is easy to do what He asks.  We will delight ourselves in doing all of His will—not His permissive will, but His perfect will.  How much do I love God?  The measure of my love will be shown by my obedience.