Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night or getting up in the morning. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.
Memory Verse: “But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see?” 1 John 4:20
For a long time is struggled with the true meaning of love. Growing up, I saw my parents do a lot of things which at the time did not really mean much to me because as a child, even though I grew up in a Christian home, love was a lot more driven by emotions.
This meant that I would do things because my emotions geared me in that direction so I was simply being controlled by my emotions and would generally not do all those things ordinarily hadn’t emotions been involved.
Many young people are like the younger version of me. They simply find themselves controlled by emotions and when called forward in church, they emotionally go to the alter and recite the word ” I believe Jesus is Lord ” but they miss out the part where it says and “you believe with all your heart”. For this reason, they make an emotional decision which is not able to last longer than the words coming out of their mouths. Before the week comes to an end, young people who fall in this sort usually revert back to the same way of life.
I got to realize that everything in life has to be intentional. Salvation is intentional and living according to the will of God is even more intentional.
The bible text today tells us that the Israelite are not only to know God but are to intentionally love God with everything they are and have. This was the first step to demonstrating that they genuinely love God. They also had to study the word of God and continually share it with their children and share God’s love with everyone all day every day.
How do we show God that we love Him?
We do so by showing love to others. God is love and if we don’t love others then the bible says our love for God may not really be genuine. Show that you love God by intentionally loving those around you in not just words but in physical actions.
PRAYERS:
- Father I thank you for you are a wonderful undisputable love
- Thank you for your endless mercies and show of undying love and kindness towards me
- Sorry for the ways I have departed from the truth and stayed down when I fall
- I receive the grace to stay faithful and focus on the task set before me.
- Help me from today to live my life showing genuine love to all around me both in words and in action as you have instructed
- I renounce and denounce hatred, strife, envy and every deterence to showing agape love as you have led.
- Help me Lord to through true reciprocation of your love, build my relationship with you, help me to fellowship and draw closer, I know you are looking for people who are reliable, here I am Lord, send me and use me for your works
- Forgive my sins o Lord and receive my sacrifice of praise, AMEN.
