Daily Devotionals

Loving God With All My Heart

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“Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2) 

“Even now declares the Lord, return to Me with all your heart….” (Joel 2:12)

  

The word “heart” is a powerful word.  We use it when we really want to place emphasis in a statement.

 

  • A lost ball game – “Their heart just wasn’t in it.”
  • A poor performance – “It was just a half-hearted effort.”
  • A cruel person – “He’s just hard-hearted.”
  • A lost love – “She left me broken-hearted.”
  • A wedding promise – “I love you with all my heart.”
  • A serious talk – “Let’s have a heart-to-heart talk about this.”

 

When we are asked to “love with all our heart,” it is asking us to give all we have, every ounce of our being.  We know when we give our heart to another, we have surrendered ourselves completely.  It comes with a feeling of vulnerability.  But not with Jesus.  When we love Jesus with all our heart, there is no reason to worry.  Jesus loved us first.  Jesus loved us enough to let his heart stop beating on the cross.  He died for us.  When his followers’ hearts were broken after his death, he loved us enough to come back.  He loved us so much he sent the Holy Spirit to be with us at all times.

 

Commit your heart to Jesus – love Him with all your heart.  The feeling you get is “heart warming.”

 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, forgive us when we only make a half-hearted effort at loving and following you.  Forgive us when we are mean-spirited and hard-hearted.  Help us, Lord, to love you with all of our heart.  Lord, hear us as we have this heart-to-heart.  Amen.

 

Submitted by Bruce Moseley