Today, I am writing from a full heart. Last evening, I had someone from Celebrate Recovery tell me they were sorry they missed our meeting last week. I said, “It’s okay, we missed you.” We always miss folks when they are not at the meetings. However, they continued by saying, “I was at church and having a church directory picture made with my children.” They continued by saying. “How good is God? He is giving everything back!”

I have thought about that all evening and all day today. “He is giving everything back.” I know I have experienced that in my life. I know what it is like for Him to begin giving everything back. I am experiencing the goodness of the Lord and I love Him. In David’s writing he is experiencing what I have just described in his life as well. I may only write about these few verses today because they are packed full of truth.

In Psalm 18, David begins by saying, “I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.”

Can I begin with “I love you Lord,”? When I read David’s words it was as if a huge thunderclap happened in my heart. Today, I want to proclaim, “I love you, Lord!” If something happens to me in the near future, I want those around me to know I love Jesus. He has washed away my sins with His blood and He loves me today. If everyone in my life turns against me there is one thing I know for sure. He loves me.

John Piper said, loving God is natural and necessary. It’s natural because it’s a part of our nature as children of God. John 8:42a says, “Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God.”

Loving God is also necessary, because if we don’t love Jesus we will be cursed. 1 Corinthians 16:22 says, “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed.” Loving Jesus is essential, it is not optional. Loving Him is a mark of us being a beneficiary of His marvelous grace. Ephesians 6:24 says, “May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We must love Jesus above all else. Above our family, our friends, our jobs, our earthly possessions, even our own personal lives. Matthew 10:37 says, “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.”

You may be saying today, “I love Jesus because I keep all of His commandments.” Loving Him is much deeper than this statement. John 14:15 says, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” We obey because we love Him very deeply. Love is invisible and on the inside of us. Love is the deep root that produces the visible fruit of truly loving others. When Jesus mentions the “Fruits of the Spirit” the first one He proclaims is love.

As I sit here writing this blog there are a lot of thoughts that go through my mind. What does it really mean to love the Lord? So, I wrote down some things of what loving Him fully means to me:

• I love Jesus more than any other human being.

• I enjoy reading and hearing His words more than hearing or reading anyone else’s.

• I want His approval more than the approval of man.

• I want to be with Him more than anyone else.

• I am grateful to Him for what He has done for me more than anyone else in my life.

• I trust His words more than what anyone else says.im HiHokdfnvlkdnfvlkdnfvlk

• I desire that He be exalted more than anyone else and this includes me.

So when I say, “I love you, Lord”, I am not taking my words lightly. 1 Peter 1:8 says, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”

I know I did not get past the first four words David said in Psalm 18, but those four words are important in our lives. Do you love Him today? I know He loves you. He wants His love to grow deep within you so His love can spring forth from your life. Do you love others as He does? If you do, then you can know His love is within you. Remember, loving Him is natural and necessary. I love Jesus! Don't you love Jesus?

A song called, How Great, performed by Corey Voss says:

Your blood that stained the ground Is where my hope is found

Your scars Caused by my sin

Is where my life begins

How great is Your Love How great is Your Love for me How great is Your Love How great is Your Love for me So great So great

My heart cannot contain this joy

Bought by Your pain

Such grace I can't repay

Still I give my everything

How great is Your Love How great is Your Love for me How great is Your Love How great is Your Love for me