Daily Bread for 9-15-10 ~ The choice to love…

Deuteronomy 30:20 – “Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey Him and commit yourself to Him, for He is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Caitlyn and I have had some very interesting conversations lately (Nick is more interested in playing with cars or destroying things).  She wants to know all kinds of things about God, Jesus and Heaven, and her questions are precious.  Recently she asked me how big God is, and I did my best to explain it in a way that her four year old mind could comprehend.

“Bigger than everything, honey. He’s bigger than the whole world.” She looked at me for a moment; brow furrowed, and then asked, “Does He have really big ears?” I nearly bit the insides of my cheeks off, trying not to laugh out loud!

On another occasion she told me that she loves God very much, but she loves me more.  You know, I remember worrying about that same thing when I was a child…even through high school.  I simply couldn’t imagine loving anyone or anything the way I loved my parents.  Especially someone I couldn’t see.

I have reached a place in my faith-walk where I can truly say that I love Jesus in a way that trumps every other love I’ve ever felt in my life.  I’ve experienced enough of Him to know that if His love or Presence was ever removed from me, nothing else would matter.  But that level of love takes time to cultivate…and it has to start somewhere.

When I was reading this verse, the word “choose” really popped out at me.  Sometimes it really does boil down to making the choice.

One of the biggest “love myths” out there is that love is always this sweet, flowery, nervous stomach kind of emotion or feeling.  That is simply not the case.  I can speak for both my husband and myself when I say there have been times in our marriage where we’re not feeling the love.  But we act in love anyway, and the feeling follows.

Anyone with kids will admit (if they’re being honest) that there are days when they want to drop the little devils off on a street corner and head to the nearest spa.  However, I’ve found that the more I choose to parent with grace and mercy, the more my kids respond positively.

Don’t feel guilty if you feel like you don’t love God as much as you should.  I have felt the same way.  I can remember doing a Beth Moore bible study and listening to her say she didn’t just love Jesus; she was madly, passionately IN love with Him.  And I was puzzled.  I felt inadequate, and a little ashamed that I didn’t love Him like that.

Loving God may not manifest itself as an all-powerful, consuming emotion at first.  Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commands.” My love for Jesus really started to deepen when I began to obey.  I started to see Him working in my life, sometimes in an absolutely supernatural way.  As I began to align my will with His, His will for me became clear.  And my chains started to fall away.  I believe with all my heart and soul that blessings abound in obedience. 

John 14:21 – Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them.” There are so many facets to God that, in my opinion, it’s safe to say He is absolutely unfathomable.  However, we know with all certainty that He is truth…and He is love.  And when Love itself reveals itself to you, when the Creator of your soul calls to you, it is absolutely irresistible.  You WILL respond with a love that is deeper and more intimate than any you have ever known.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, so that we might get a glimpse of who You are.  Jesus loved the unlovable, gave hope to the hopeless, restored sight to the blind and healed the sick.  God, will you please peel back every layer on our hearts that is keeping us from loving You perfectly?  Please help us to obey, and answer the call You’ve placed on our lives.  Please be faithful to reveal Yourself to us as we do.  God, we want to know You more.  Please help us to love You the way You meant for us to…for it is within that love that we find peace and joy that defies our circumstances.  We ask these things in the blessed, holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.