Loving God

C. S. Lewis said that "a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God." It's true that God is concerned about our morals, about our conduct. But he is mostly concerned with our hearts. Are they devoted to him? If we love other things -- our family, our spouse, our friends -- do we still love God more? If not, then, as Lewis, noted, we may not be spiritually healthy.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Psalm 37:4

"I love all who love me. Those who search for me will surely find me."

Proverbs 8:17

The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.

Psalm 145:18-20

"If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them.

"All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesn't love me will not do what I say. And remember, my words are not my own. This message is from the Father who sent me."

John 14:15-21, 23-24

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"

Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?"

The man answered, "`You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, `Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!"

Luke 10:25-28

If someone says, "I love God," but hates another Christian, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too.

1 John 4:20-21

The Book of God's Promises -- Copyright, 1999 by J. Stephen Lang. All rights reserved, used with permission.