Love God
Focus: Joshua 23:11 - KJV
11. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.
Joshua 23:6-13
Loving God is a profitable business, when taken with the seriousness it deserves. To love God is to have Him only as God and not turn to any other, either directly, by association or indirectly, by implication. God loves every man without question. He therefore, expects us also to love all men to the extent of association and not acquaintance. For instance, the Lord Jesus came into the world and by association with men, He was able to convert some to the Lord Most High. He was not acquainted with just anyone except the heirs of salvation. He found Zacchaeus and associated with him even though he was seen as a sinner. That association brought salvation to the man and his home. On the other hand, Solomon did not only associate with pagan women, but had a harem of them thereby creating ungodly acquaintances which brought about the division of the kingdom of Israel.
For as long as David showed his love for God, the Lord favored him and made him an unforgettable king in Israel. He refused to have any other god aside Jehovah. He worshipped and stuck with this God, even when he was clearly in error and offended Him. Incidentally, our God is jealous and will not accept idolatry from anyone, no matter the situation. Many now worship different types of idols ranging from their physical bodies, money, some other supposed super human, government, their cellphones and tablets, other strange but nonexistent beings, to whom some in delusion have ascribed existence. As flimsy as some of these things may appear to man, they are frowned at by the Lord. And when He so frowns, there are clear repercussions. It is so frustrating to have the Lord turn against anyone. From the Davidic example, we discover that even if things appear to have gone awry due to iniquity, what we can do is stick with the same God by seeking His mercy and forgiveness, to restore us from wherever we erred.
Beloved, loving God is rewarding: it adds so much splendor to life than one ordinarily bargains for. The Lord is generous to a fault towards those who love Him. When in love, Abraham offered up Isaac, his son whom he loved, and God swore by Himself to bless him. That is heavy and deep. When Noah showed God he loved Him, just after the flood, the Lord wiped off the flex in the curses upon the earth, for man, and blessed it instead. When Solomon showed his love before his derailment, the Lord gave him a promise that has made him the richest man that ever lived. Are you also ready to forsake every other thing that is standing between you and God? As you do, the Lord will get you stunned with His own reciprocal acts of love. Note however, that the greatest way to show you love God is by loving your neighbors, whom He created and loves, like yourself.
SOLUTION: Loving God is a heart affair and not just that of the head or the words. Let us be deliberate about shunning other things that may want to replace God in priority in our lives, even as we particularly show love to our neighbors.
Please pray: Father, I love you; help me to be focused on you and never be distracted by things that do not glorify. Let your love for me and my resultant love for you draw many more unto you by reason of the blessings I experience henceforth, in Jesus’ name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.