OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-MONDAY-23/05/2016-DO YOU LOVE GOD?-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
DO YOU LOVE GOD?
Memorise
So
when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than
these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith
unto him, Feed my lambs. John 21:15
Read
Deuteronomy 6:4-7,
4 Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And
thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And
these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou risest up.
KJV
MESSAGE
In today’s
Bible reading, Jesus asked a pointed question from Simon Peter, “lovest thou me
more than these?” Jesus was not in doubt whether Peter loved Him; He was more
interested in knowing the level of Peter’s commitment to Him when compared to
other worldly things. Many truly love God, but they are more committed to other
things like their profession, business, means of livelihood, fashion, sport,
entertainment, food and delicacies, friends and family, social engagements,
etc. whenever God’s demand clashes with their interests, they will surely go
for their interests. When the chips are down, God must play the second fiddle
to the true love of their lives. In this respect, in Psalms 42:1, David says
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so
panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
In
the above passage, the Bible recorded the Psalmist speaking of his yearning of
a dehydrated deer, whose need for God to the extreme yearning of a dehydrated
deer, whose need for water is shown by its panting.
We know the hart or deer does not pant
except when it is being chased by a hunter or when it is highly dehydrated. Do
you know that for many people, it is only when they are being hunted by the
devil or situations of life that they remember God? When everything else is in
price: the store is filled with rich varieties of food, the bank account is
bubbling, the contacts are coming, the family members are well and making
progress and the ministry is moving on; the need to search for God never arises
in the hearts of many. But when there is trouble: a child is sick, there is no
food to eat, the business is experiencing dryness and there are several
challenges in the ministry; then suddenly the one at the receiving end would
remember that he or she has a God. If you seek God only when you are hunted,
you are a God-user and not a God-lover. You can be sure God knows the
difference and He will deal with His seekers accordingly. John 21:15 says:
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea,
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”
It is
possible to pursue God, not because you are in trouble but because you love
Him. Anything can happen when you are in love. Songs of Solomon 2:5 says it is
even possible to become sick because of love. If you have an intense love for
God, you will go to any length for Him. God has created us to be capable of
loving one another, particularly Him. If you find it difficult to truly love
God, it is because something else or someone else has stolen your love.
Material things have stolen the hearts of many people from God. If you have
lost your first love – the original quality of love you once expressed towards
Him when you first knew the Lord, then ask Him to help you recover it. Are you
panting after God because you are hunted or because of love? If love drives you
to God, love will drive Him to you in return and He will give Himself to you
without reservation. Do you love God more than anything in this world?
Prayer Point
Father, let my love for you
grow stronger, and stronger, all the days of my life.
Bible in one year
1st Chronicles
16:8-18:17, Proverbs 28:14-25
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