Protea

Deuteronomy 6 v 5. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

 

This is the summery of the Ten Commandments. It is a duty that God our Creator and Redeemer places upon us. It is the “duty” called love.

 

But what is this love to God, commanded from all his people? It is hard to describe. It is both an inward fire and a mental recognition of God that seems to make us go after God, seek Him out, see Him as the Supreme good. It is emotional, intellectual, and voluntary. It is so hard to describe.

 

But notice this love cannot be born in us without the knowledge of the God we are called to love. Thus the Holy Spirit first works in us and shines His Grace into our understanding and thus we begin to perceive the wisdom, the holiness and the mercy of God. What is more we see these things as something exceedingly beautiful and they entice us, attract us to God. If we do not know what God is like we cannot love Him, but if we have been inwardly awakened to His greatness, we are drawn to Him. But if there is no spiritual understanding we will remain in darkness and ignorance towards God.

 

Even in the realm of human relationships, if you love somebody you want to be with them, enjoy their company, talk to them and about them and in general take an enormous delight in them. So too, when our hearts are ignited with love to God, he becomes our consuming passion. As it says in Psalm 37 v 4. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

 

This may seem an impossible way to live but we must remember that none of us is able to love God or know Him in any way, by nature. Something must happen to us for our hearts to respond to God in this way.

 

Prayer: O God, how little I know and understand you. I need more illumination. Please enlighten me and increase my love for you. Amen