A Love Relationship with God

Memory verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38)

Picture in your mind a tall ladder leaning against a wall. Now think about your life as a process of climbing that ladder. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to ascend to the top and find you had placed the ladder against the wrong wall? One life to live, and you missed it! Earlier in the devotions we talked about your life being God-centered. That means your life must be properly related to God. This is the love relationship for which you were created: a God-centered love relationship. Your walk with God is the single most important aspect of your life. If it is not as it should be, nothing else will function properly.

If you knew all you had was a relationship with God, would you be totally and completely satisfied? Many people would say, “I would like to have that relationship, but I would also like to do something” or “I would like for Him to give me a ministry or something to do”. We are a doing people. We feel worthless or useless if we are not busy doing something. Scripture leads us to understand that God is saying, “I want you to love Me above everything else. When you are in a relationship of love with Me, you have everything there is”. To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the greatest achievement, and the noblest position in life.

That does not mean you will never accomplish anything as an expression of your love for God. He will call you to obey Him and do whatever He asks of you. However, you do not need to do something to feel fulfilled. You are completely fulfilled in a relationship with God. When you are filled with Him, what else do you need?

Read this hymn and reflect on everything that may compete with Jesus for a person’s love and attention:

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I’d rather be His than have riches untold.

I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause. I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause.

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame. I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom. He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb.

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs. I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today

Is this what you desire? Do you really want to love the Lord your God with all your heart? He will allow no competitors. Not money and things, not fame and popularity, and not power or authority. God says:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24)

From His love for you, God will provide everything else you need, when you love Him and Him alone (see Matthew 6:31-33)

Final Thought:

To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the greatest achievement, and the noblest position in life.