Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 89; Isaiah 34; Revelation 4
It does not take much imagination to figure out how a person would respond if I ordered them to love me. Love does not work like that, at least on a human level. If someone gave me that order, my obedience would depend on how that person treated me and what I decided to do.
Love is a huge topic. We love pizza, chocolate, a beautiful sunset, our children, comfort food, and other people. How can one word have so many angles and applications? Even in Scripture, God loves the world, loves sinners, loves His people, loves righteousness, loves many things. How can one word mean the same for so much? Love has a mysterious side to it also. Why do people ‘fall in love’ and what happens to make some say, “I don’t love you anymore”? Is this about emotions? Or is it about a decision? Or both?
Jesus said that the most important command from God is to love Him. This came early in history and was often repeated:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:4–7)
In these verses, love is expressed by obedience, but God does not order us with, “If you love me, you will do what I say.” Loving God is not about coercion. As the apostle John repeatedly said, we love Him because He first loved us. I get that. Because He loves me and treats me with great affection and consideration, my heart cannot help but respond. I want to please Him. Another way to express love is with praise and making Him known:
I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 89:1)
Loving God is linked to trust and faith. Because I believe Him and has revealed to me His great glory and power, I want to respond with respect, praise, and a heart full of love.
This morning, He reminds me of one way that much of the world has missed what it means to love Him. He reveals how some living creatures never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Then He adds that “Twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever” and say, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:8–11)
They worship Him because they see His worth, power and glory in what He has created, yet, much of the world thinks that is nonsense, that we evolved from a primordial soup to one-celled life, to sea creatures who became land creatures, who eventually walked on two legs and from those early apes we evolved. In other words, God did not speak life into existence; it just happened. This is what our children are taught and God is no longer honored or considered worthy to receive glory, never mind our loving devotion.
Idolatry is common also. It is our sin nature to choose to do our own thing, to decide what is best for ourselves. We ignore the obvious; our Creator knows what makes us tick and gives us a good life. In deciding to pick and choose for ourselves, we should not wonder why the world is in such a mess.
The bottom line equates loving God with trusting Him instead of going my own way . . .
Do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. (Proverbs 3:1–10)
APPLY: Confess my failures and making an idol out of my own wisdom. Instead, love God with all my heart and soul, trusting Him because He created me and knows what is best for me!
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