LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

SONG

Jesus, I love You

All I have is Thine

Yours I am Lord

Yours I want to be.

 TEXT:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark chapter 12 verses 29 to 30, New International Version)

   As children of God's Kingdom, we need to be very careful not to misplace our priorities, because in today's world, many things are competing against our devotion to God.

 There are things that are not necessarily bad 'per se', but can become modern-day idolatry if we are not careful. We might become preoccupied with them, allowing them to take the place of communion with our God.

  Nowadays, social media tends to take most people's attention. It has caused more harm than good to many people, especially those that can't control their quest for it. In some homes, it has had some adverse effects on member's attitude towards one another and towards God.

No doubt, there are many good things about the internet, but there are also numerous things that are not good enough for our consumption as children of God. If we live with our ears glued to the latest news or our eyes fixed on our social media feeds, we may never encounter God or ever have a strong and virile relationship with Him.

   Jesus, while he was here on earth, would often withdraw Himself from the noise of the crowd to pray in solitude.

The Bible says, "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (Mathew chapter 14 verse 23)

   Excessive attention to the world and all it offers such as houses, cars, clothes, jewelry, physical appearance, entertainment, and the social media in particular, can become idolatrous. Anything that takes the place of our devotion to God becomes an idol or a false god, as it's categorically stated in the ten commandments of God. Exodus chapter 20 verse 3 to 6 says,

 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:..."

       Satan’s greatest desire is to prevent you and I from giving God all of your heart and that is why he has invented things to preoccupy us. We don't have to give in to Satan. Rather, we must create enough time for fellowship with God, our Savior.

PRAYER:

I receive abundant grace to build up a formidable relationship with God in Jesus' Mighty name.