DAILY DEVOTION No. 8

We can know that God loves us and this can cause us to feel like we are being lifted on waves      of feeling and flushed with God’s presence. But when we are at a low ebb and the tide has gone out, we start to wonder where is the love of God. We experience these ups and downs               because we are not building on faith but on feeling.

We can only keep ourselves in the love of God by building up ourselves on our most holy faith and by Holy Spirit praying and nothing else. To "keep" means to guard, protect and maintain and to "build" ourselves up means that we must work at it. These are doing words and the requirements upon us are to constantly renew our mind and bring every thought captive, to guard our heart against anything that will affect our spirit, to take up our cross daily and mortify the deeds of the flesh. 

“You and I have to do it.” We have to work at keeping ourselves in the love of God. Is this too hard a task? Jesus never makes us obey. He gives us a choice. You and I don’t have to, unless we want too. “If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself.....” (Matt 16:24). Human authority always demands obedience, Our Lord never does. When my relationship to Him is that of love, then I will do what he says without debate. If I hesitate it’s because I love myself or someone else more..... “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” Jesus never says you must but if we are to be His disciples we know we must.

Jesus did not coerce, bribe or manipulate anyone to follow Him. He discouraged many who sought to follow Him. Luke 9:57-58 says Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow you where ever you go.....” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes..... Then in Verse 62, Jesus again said, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Do you know what it will cost you to follow Jesus? 

Jesus words bring such a challenge to our hearts and just like they did in the above situation, His words knock out of us any desire to serve Him that is not based on a relationship of love and the compelling call of God. If our service for God is not based on our love for Him, the things we do become an annoyance and a burden, and attitudes will develop that will bring no glory to God whatsoever. 

Luke 18:18-23 - "Sell all you have..... and come and follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was rich." Jesus spoke these words and then left him alone. What are you rich in? It may be talents, possessions, time or gifts. Jesus was saying to this rich man - 'Abandon yourself to everything you possess and come and follow me'. This was too hard, because he was very rich. Are you willing to lay down what you possess to serve Him if He requires it of you? Our lives as Christians are to be based on a deep, intimate, passionate love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Out of that relationship comes the call of God and our service to Him.

Challenge

Are you drinking deep and full of the love of God? Are you building up your most holy faith and keeping yourself in the love of God? Are you delighting in Him and living close to Him?

God is calling each one of us to be men and women of faith that are always working at having a deep love for Him.

Prayer

Help me Lord to build up my faith in You and keep close to You. Protect me Lord from things that will harden my heart or cause me to turn away from You. Help me to always have a soft heart towards You.

Rod Best