LOVING GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY
Kimberly Portillo
Today’s Scripture: “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37–38, ESV
Theme: As followers of Jesus, the most important thing we can do is love God wholeheartedly.
HE WANTS A RELATIONSHIP
Jesus points to relationship when He was asked what the great commandment was. He didn’t talk of things you could do for Him but simply loving Him wholeheartedly. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength ensures that our decisions align with His will, leading to wise and purposeful living. This also means desiring to be more like Him every day. It means loving to spend time in His presence and wanting to know Him more and more.
THE BEGINNING OF MY LOVE FOR HIM
I can clearly remember being just four years old when my parents gave their lives to God. I remember how everything changed... the atmosphere in our home, the joy, the peace, and the way God completely transformed our family.
Not long after my parents started to go to church, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was devastating news, especially for a family so new in their faith. But it became an opportunity for God to reveal His power and faithfulness.
And He did exactly that.
God healed my grandmother miraculously. When she returned to the doctor, they found no trace of cancer. The doctors were amazed and couldn’t explain it. She also gave her life to Jesus, and so did many others in the family.
I was in such awe of what God had done.
Everywhere I turned, I kept hearing testimonies of lives being changed — people being saved, healed, transformed, and delivered. Watching people encounter the goodness of God and witnessing His love and power firsthand caused me to fall more deeply in love with Him and trust Him with my whole heart.
He became my everything — my all in all.
I JUST WANT TO PLEASE HIM
God has been faithful to me time and time again. He has guided me, provided for me, comforted me, and shown me His love in countless ways. Because of that, I want my life to honor Him. I want my thoughts, words, and actions to reflect my love for Him.
If you have never experienced that kind of love for God, don’t be discouraged. Like ANY relationship, it grows as you spend time with Him.
The more you learn about who God is, the more you understand His love for you. Spend time in His Word, talk to Him in prayer, and invite Him into your daily life. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and to help you love Him more and more.
The beautiful truth is that our love for God begins because HE first loved us. As you draw near to Him, you’ll discover that He has been pursuing your heart all along.
Make It Personal: Is God receiving your best, or has something else taken first place? Can you remember the first time you felt love for God? What did you experience?
Pray: Father, thank You for loving me first. I invite You into every aspect of my life. I want to love You wholeheartedly and please You with my life. Remove anything that competes for my affection or distracts me from You. May my life bring You honor and glory in all that I do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Proverbs 3:5-6, Deuteronomy 30:9, John 14:15, Romans 8:28, 1 John 4:19
Weekly Memory Verse: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35, ESV