THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT PULL ON THE HEART STRINGS OF GOD
Today, I told the Lord I loved Him. In fact, I told Him over and over. I began to cry as I told Him how very much I loved Him. Just three little words—I-LOVE-YOU. That’s all it took for the presence of God to invade the room. Suddenly, the atmosphere was charged with His presence. He was there. He heard me. He drew close to me. He communed with me.
Later, I thought about how that when someone has told me that they love me and have spoken kindly to me, as well as expressing their appreciation of me, I want to hear more. I like it. I’m not in a hurry to run out the door. I want to stay in that person’s presence. They make me feel good. This is the way God feels when we tell Him we love Him and, moreover, why we love Him.
One of the blessings of loving God is that He is a God that responds to our affection shown to Him. I would ask you the following questions: Do you need God to answer your prayers? Do you want a breakthrough? Do you want God to show you things to come? Are you in need of God’s mercy? Then tell Him you love Him. God has promised to those who love Him that He would show “MERCY unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments” (Exo. 20:6).
As a child of God, before receiving God’s mercy, two conditions must be met, as listed in the above Scripture: (1) love God, and (2) keep His commandments. Obedience is an overflow of loving Him with all of your heart.
Why not take this moment right now just to stop everything else you are doing and say to your God, your Lord and Savior, your Deliverer, your Healer, your Present Help in the time of trouble, “I LOVE YOU?
Obedience should not be a torturous routine, but an overflow of love, as easy as breathing! It is natural to want to please the one you love. Moreover, you want to receive approval in the eyes of the one you love. God is blessed when we are obedient and when we take the time to simply tell Him we love Him.
I told someone recently to tell God they love Him. If they speak it, they will hear it and when they hear it, it will become rooted in them. And what is rooted inside them, will flow out of them, meaning they will be obedient to Him and keep His commandments.
To love God, to show it, and to tell Him you love Him is the most important thing to God that you can do. It is above works. In fact, the Lord testified of one church, the church of Ephesus, that He had something against them; “Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4). Those words are sad to me. All the works they were doing for the Lord were not out of an overflow of love for Him.
Here is a list of all their good works:
“Unto the angel (pastor) of the church of Ephesus write; These things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you cannot bear them which are evil: and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them to be liars: And have borne, and have patience, and for My name’s sake have labored, and have not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:1-4).
They were doing the works of God out of habit, out of fear, and out of easing their conscience. They were not performed because they fervently loved Him. They had lost that somewhere along the line. They were full of good works, but they had lost their love for Him. The most important thing to God is that you love Him. Don’t get the cart before the horse. Love Him and then obedience (works) will flow. There is one remedy for regaining your first love: repentance. Jesus said to the church of Ephesus. “Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent” (Rev. 2:5).