Jesus, I Want to Love You Part 8Sýnishorn

Take a moment to read today's Bible verses.

BUILD UPON THE ROCK

What is the reward promised in this passage? How does one receive this reward? What is the consequence of not obeying? What causes this consequence?

One sure thing is that there will be trials in life. When the storm comes, it tests our thinking, our trust, our faith, and our obedience. As the waves crash upon the walls of the thinking we have built, we will discover what our “house” is built on.

Think about trials you may be facing now or have faced in the past. What is your “house” built on?

We want to build our house upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. He is the only one who is perfect and true. Each time we obey God's Word we are building upon that foundation. Each time we die to self and live according to the Word, we establish our house on the rock of truth. Jesus tells us that He loves us and that He is for us and always with us. He is the One who enables us to obey. Do we understand or believe His love for us? We may think we do, but what do our actions say?

What if we struggle with obedience? Then, we must look at our hearts. Do we truly love God? This might sound surprising, but love is the heart of the matter. If we say we love God we will obey Him. And, if we don’t believe and receive God’s love, we will certainly not be able to love and obey Him in return because obedience springs from a heart of love. And, God is love.

Take the time to meditate on His Word and His love. Do we believe God loves you, not based upon your performance, but upon the righteousness of Christ?

When we believe we are secure in God's deep, unconditional love for us, we are compelled to love Him in return. The Bible teaches that if we love God we will obey His Word. Truly understanding God’s love leads to loving God in return and loving God leads to obedience. So, if you struggle with obedience, confess your unbelief and lack of love for Him.

Identify one area where you struggle to obey God's Word. Ask the Lord to grow you in faith and love as you seek to obey Him fully out of love for Him, trusting in His grace to enable you to obey.