Beth pointed out the value of loving the Lord…that it motivates our obedience, motivates perseverance, provides protection and empowers love for others. She also pointed out that so often we think love for God is going to be different than love we have, say, for our dearest family members. She asked us to consider why? If we love our child or grandchild, for instance, how do we know? We feel it deeply. She asked us to question why we expect our love for God not to be a feeling love and challenged us to ask God to give us that kind of love for him…a love that acts, yes, but a love that feels as well.

She pointed out that we can pray asking God to give us a heart-felt, zealous, passion for Him…a love for him that is unrivaled. He WILL answer that prayer as it is a prayer prayed in his will.

We love him at all because he first loved us. I was moved when she asked us to consider instead of saying “I love you, Lord,” to say for a season, “I love you, too…” as it reinforces the vital truth that I love him because he first loved me…there is never a time when I will say “I love you, Lord,” that he hasn’t first said, “I love you.”

He initiates it.