Introductory Thoughts
When you truly love someone, you find yourself developing a love for the things that he or she loves. It should be no different concerning our relationship with the Lord. The more love we have for the Lord, the more love we display for the things dearest to Him. This means that the closer we draw to Him, the more we will love things that He loves, like judgment (Isaiah 61:8) and righteousness (Psalm 11:7), the lost (John 3:16) and the saved (1 John 4:21), peace and truth (Zechariah 8:19). We will also have a greater love for the Jewish people (Zechariah 2:8). Perhaps a more accurate gauge by which to judge your love for the Lord is to gauge your love for the things which He loves.
Devotional Thoughts
-
(For children): Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Do you love the church (Gods people) and love to meet with them in Gods house? God does (Matthew 18:20).
-
(For everyone): What are some other things we can find in the Bible that the Lord loves? How should we feel about those things? How do you feel about those things?
-
Why is it important for Gods people to love what God loves? How does our love grow as we draw closer to the Lord? Have you ever found that your love for the things of God grows colder as your love for the Lord grows more distant?
Prayer Thoughts
- Ask God to help you love the things and people that He loves.
- Ask the Lord to help you draw closer to Him.
Song
DO NOT I LOVE THEE, O MY LORD?
