WE OBEY GOD BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM

Our love for God comes from our understanding of how much God loves us. The more we understand God's love, the more we will love Him. When we recognize how much someone loves and cares for us, we often feel compelled to return that love, whether it's from our parents or someone else. This beautiful cycle of love strengthens our relationship and creates an environment where we feel recognized and valued. When Jesus called Peter to become one of His disciples, Peter began to understand how much Jesus loved Him. As a result, Peter was willing to give His life for Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you (Matthew 26:33)." Jesus did not make Peter give up his life for Him. Instead, Peter chose to do this because of his strong love for Jesus. When we love someone, we are willing to do anything to please that person. Everything we do is no longer based on obligations, but rather on our love and appreciation for that person.

The lesson that we can learn from our devotion today is that our obedience to God should be based on our love and appreciation of God's love for us. The more we love God, the more we want to obey Him. It is a delight for us to obey because we want to please our God. Our reason for obeying God is not to obtain blessings or assistance from Him; instead, it is to express our love and gratitude for Him due to His faithful and unwavering love towards us. 1 John 5:3 says, "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome." We do not want to lie, cheat, or commit other sins because we love God. It is more about expressing our love to God. One of my pastors once said, "I do not cheat on my wife because I love her." When we love someone, we do not want to do anything that will hurt them. It is the same with our relationship with God. The more we love Him, the more we want to please Him. 

Obeying God will not be a burden for us when we love Him. Instead, we want to obey Him because we love Him. Our motive for everything that we do is to express our love towards God through our actions and words. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the motivation for me to love God? What is the motivation for me to obey God? How do I know God loves me?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for loving me so much. The more I understand how much you love me, the more I appreciate and love you. Please continue to help me understand how much you love me, so that I will continue to grow in your love and naturally obey you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.