Knowing that you love God

Today’s scripture:

"In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome," (1 John 5:3 NIV)

The past few days we have gone through each of the first four commandments, and showing how they are about mercy from our Lord, and these first four show that we need to Love God. And through these commandments show the love that God has shown us first by His mercy.

See how they are intertwined together with His love first and in turn we love Him. It shows a perfect intimate relationship.... Wait a minute, you mean we can see how an intimate relationship can be found by something that was written in the Old Testament in THE LAW??? Yes! It all comes down to seeing a revelation of God’s Heart – MERCY!

I often question my own desires to see if I am living out my faith. May I say, that is a good habit to get into. The psalmist King David says in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me O God and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

That is a very earnest and important prayer. He is telling God to test him! To pray like that, you better know what your getting yourself into. And David did! He had a genuine heart after God. He did not take his faith with a flippant attitude. You can see it throughout the psalms that David was very serious about loving his Lord! Psalm 119 is a consistent cry out for David to keep the Lord’s commandments.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1John 2:3-6)

I need to know that I have the love of God in me. Honestly, my flesh is in a constant battle NOT to keep His law. But, God knows this according to (Jeremiah 17:9). Its supposed to be that way. First, believe God is true and know that His commands are not burdensome then, we need to lead our heart by obeying His command to Love. At times I have to pick myself up by the back of the neck and force myself to get into the Word of God. Legalism? No! It’s God’s Mercy!

Every day I put a challenge at the end of each of these devotions but this time, along with that challenge I would also like to add something. Try and commit yourself to a time to pray/read Psalm 119 from start to finish every day. What I mean by pray/read is to personalize the psalm. See, the whole psalm is one prayer. Make it your own prayer to God and even if you don’t see what your reading true in your life, pray/read it in faith that God will do that in you what you are reading. Do this for 3 weeks every day. I have done this myself and it will give you a love and a desire to obey His commandments.

Reflection:

Don’t be deceived by some who think this is legalism. These commandments aren’t just there to show that we can’t do them. Truth is we cannot obey them perfectly unless we receive His mercy to do them by His strength.

I Challenge you:

Go out to someone who needs to hear that God has mercy for them through His law and tell them how you came to Christ’s love and mercy. They have a need, so mercy them by filling that need!

-Doug McGowan