Loving God- DAY THREE

Scripture:  "My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways."  (Prov. 23:26 NIV)

Thought:  Two things are mentioned... the heart and our delight in God's ways.  This goes to what Jesus said about loving God with all our "heart."  To love God with all our heart, we must give Him our heart which is mentioned above.  In other words, we give Him our love.  It is not an act brought about because of a good feeling at the moment.  That is an emotional love.  To love God with all our heart is a deeper commitment than an emotional attachment to God.  Now to be honest, there will be an emotional connection when we love God with all our heart.  The Lord blesses us with that.  But we see that an emotional love is a fruit in response to giving God our heart voluntarily.

What does it mean to give our heart to God?  It is to see Him as He is, to recognize Who He is, what He has done for us, and why we should love Him.  This recognition of God deserves a gift of our heart.  It is a result of getting to know these things about Him before we enter a deeper intimacy with Him.  But when we enter through this recognition and gift to God first, it will lead next to an emotional connection to Him.  This is when Father God becomes Daddy God.  There is no less reverence, but far more intimacy.

Application:  So, how are you doing with giving God your heart?  Possibly you are waiting for an emotional awakening before you give your heart fully to God?  Somewhere in your thinking is a need for a confirmation with an emotional connection before taking your step toward Him?  If so, you are waiting for God to act first before you act and if you will look at Bible history, the pattern we see is that God requires us to take the first step and then He responds.  Yes, I know that He initiated through Christ first a way to Him.  But we must take a step in faith to receive His gift.  We are always required an initiative toward Him.

As you interact with the truth of the scripture above, and then apply it to your life in answering my question to you, evaluate what is holding you back.  Take a moment now to seek an answer from the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what may be standing in the way of giving your heart to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Through an earnest prayer, seek an answer and He will help you understand.

Q:  What do you think the Holy Spirit said to you when you just prayed?

Q:  What adjustments do you need to make to give God your heart?

Response:  Make a commitment now to follow through with any changes that you need to make.  If you have followed my suggestions, you are in fact within a conversation with God where He listens while you talk, and you listen while He talks.  If you now understand an answer to your question, do not fail to respond immediately.