Monday October 05th, 2020
« But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?” »
35 Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death?
36 As the scripture says, “For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!
38 For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future,
39 neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.
An obsession is an excessive devotion to someone or something, even to the point of personal loss, injury or death.
The word is often applied in a negative sense, but the Bible tells us that Jesus loved and obeyed God to the point of obsession.
The word of God counsels us to develop the particular kind of mind that was in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8 NLT says
« You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross »
Jesus during His earthly ministry loved God and was obedient to His commandments even to the point of death – an excruciating death on the cross.
God therefore expects all His children to follow Christ’s example by loving Him with all our being.
If you have ever been so deeply and passionately in love with someone to the point of obsession, you may lose your appetite and forget to eat, your mind may become occupied with nothing else but that person.
This kind of positive obsession is hinged on love. Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV has this to say:
« 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment »
Therefore, we are enjoined to first and foremost love God with all our hearts, because we need to have the love of God before we can truly appreciate what love is and then reciprocate by showing love to others. 1 John 4:7-8 CEV says:
« 7 My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God’s children, and we know him. 8 God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him. »
As Christians, we must obsessively love God with all our being, and always radiate His love to our neighbors.
Prayer focus – Father, please give me the grace to love You with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Author – Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it .
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