1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What does God desire that we do? He wants us to love Him first and foremost with no competitors. He wants us to love Him with all that we are and He wants us to love each other. That’s it. As the two greatest commandments that Jesus gave us encompass all the Law, that is what He wants for us. If we love God then we will obey Him. We do our best to do all that pleases Him and our goal is to never do anything that does not please Him. If we love Him with the divine love that He gives us we will put Him first at all times.
If want to get rid of sin, then love God ever more. As we keep our eyes on Him (which is what we do when we love someone) and always desire to be ever with and ever closer to Him, then the ugly scabs of our life begin to fall away. We set aside self to serve and please Him. That is what people who love God do. And God has loved us so much that He said He will do the work of making our lives what they ought to be. So God calls us to Him, and sanctifies us, all because He loves us. Our job is to let His love flow through us and so we will be cleansed and become more like Him. Sound too simple? Of course it sounds too simple! Yet it is true. Love God and let Him do the work. He calls us, saves us and changes us. We love and submit to Him. If we love Him and know Him, we will trust Him. As we continue to love Him and walk with Him then we know Him better and better and so we trust Him more and more.
Let’s drop our burdens and worries and let Him take care of all these things. Family, God made serving loving Him, and serving Him, simple. He calls us to perfect sinlessness, yet knows that we will never attain sinlessness in our life. He just wants us to desire that goal while seeking to please Him. Jesus already paid the price for all our mistakes. We are free. Since we are free, let’s deeply breathe in the breath of freedom. Eternal freedom. Stop and breathe it in. God made it easy for us. He did so because He loves us. Love God back with all that we are and we will be okay. He has promised that. The more we walk that way the easier it gets. Love the One who has loved us before the beginning of time. Love God. Love each other. Take care of each other. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.