The First and Greatest Pursuit
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deuteronomy 6:5 (KJV)
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 (KJV)
The first thing we are to do with our lives is to love God, to know God. As we know God and know that God loves us, our response will be to want to know Him more and love Him more. As we grow in God’s Word, our love for God grows. And as we experience His presence, we love Him more.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
We must first seek God. We must desire, want, long for, thirst for, and hunger after Him- to know and experience Him. God reveals Himself to those who seek Him. We need to love God so much that He’s our one attachment- all we want, desire, yearn for, and go after. When we first love God above all else, life will flow in a rhythm that God designed. Love for God is hatred of sin. We learn this through His fiery love of holiness, and we must protect it at all cost. Our love must be whole-hearted. It must encompass our heart, soul, mind, and strength. All that is in us should love God.
If ye love me, keep my commandments…. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. John 14:15, 23-24 (KJV)
We love God as much as we love His Word for They are One. When we love God, we keep and obey His Word.
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV)
The greatest commandment is to love God, and then the second is to love our neighbor. Love is how we fulfill God’s law. When we walk in love, we walk in the Word, thus keeping His Word. The greatest thing is to love God- there is no greater call than to be a lover of God.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
True greatness serves out of love, gives out of love, and helps others. It is not self-seeking, but loves others over self. This all flows from a heart that is in love with God and is receiving the love of God. Love is the greatest and God is love. To be great like God, we must love God and others- then ourselves.
True greatness is childlike. Children are loving, trusting, playful, and forgiving. They live life with wonder and amazement. They rely on Daddy and are content to be with Daddy. We must do the same with our heavenly Father. As we love the love of Daddy God because we have received His love, we will then love Him more and trust Him more. We know He has our best interests in mind.
To be first- be last. To be great- love more. The greatest pursuit, quest, or ambition in life is to know God and love God- because He knows and love us continually and endlessly.
