Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV): Love the LORD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
GOD IS LOVE, and GOD cares about two things: HEARTS and SOULS. If He has these, He has everything we have to offer, and that hasn't changed much since the first couple, ADAM and EVE.
GOD is a HEART-and-SOUL SEARCHER, so He FISHES for us and SEEKS a place in our hearts. GOD the FATHER draws us, JESUS the SON saves us, forgives us, and redeems us, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT guides us, teaches us, and empowers us, giving us a REVELATION of GOD through HIS WORD which draws us ever closer to JESUS CHRIST, the LORD of LORDS and the WORD MADE FLESH and GOD the FATHER, the KING of KINGS and the LORD of ALL.
GOD wants us to LOVE HIM like ADDICTS, SURRENDERING EVERYTHING TO and FOR HIM, FOR HE SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have EVERLASTING LIFE. GOD GAVE EVERYTHING FOR US; JESUS GAVE EVERYTHING FOR US, so when we COME TO GOD and INVITE JESUS into our hearts and lives, WE MUST GIVE EVERYTHING--all we have--and that's the PRICE of SALVATION and REDEMPTION--OUR LIVES--for JESUS PAID IN FULL our debt to GOD with HIS LIFE and HIS BLOOD; He GAVE HIS LIFE for OURS, so we, in return, are CALLED UPON to LIVE and ABIDE IN HIM--CHRIST, the ANOINTED ONE--GIVING OURSELVES as LIVING SACRIFICES to GOD. For this is the GRACE of GOD and the GREAT EXCHANGE of CALVARY's CROSS: JESUS' LIFE was SACRIFICED--GIVEN--for OURS. And when our lives are SURRENDERED to HIM, HE LIVES IN and THROUGH us. But we have FREE WILL--A CHOICE--and we can choose whether we will ACCEPT and RECEIVE GOD's GIFT of LOVE and GRACE through FAITH IN JESUS or REJECT and DISREGARD GOD's GIFT, and GOD who is GOOD, JUST, and LOVE, WILL HONOR OUR CHOICES, especially of where we want to spend eternity--IN HIS PRESENCE or AWAY FROM HIS PRESENCE--IN LIGHT or IN DARKNESS--IN PEACE or IN TORMENT.
Those of us who LOVE GOD, CHOOSE JESUS, and SURRENDER our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strength to GOD are ADOPTED into HIS FAMILY, COVERED by JESUS' BLOOD, QUICKENED by the HOLY SPIRIT, and GIFTED with the FRUIT OF HIS SPIRIT: love, joy, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, self-control, and peace, for GOD LOVED US, enough to GIVE HIS SON FOR US, and JESUS LOVED US enough to SACRIFICE HIS LIFE FOR US, and the HOLY SPIRIT LOVES US, enough to DWELL IN US, and ENCOURAGE, INSTRUCT, and EMPOWER us, and that's the NATURE of LOVE and GIVING--to HELP, SERVE, BLESS, UPLIFT, ENCOURAGE, COMFORT, CONSOLE, COUNSEL, BEFRIEND, STRENGTHEN, and EMPOWER.
FOR LOVE OF US-our hearts, souls, minds, and strength--our very lives--GOD NEVER LEAVES US or FORSAKES US, and He INVESTS all of His resources in us, because He wants us in His presence not just today, not even on Sunday, but for eternity. That's why He keeps calling us, drawing us, pursuing us, and beckoning us with that still small voice: He's trying to wake us from our slumber and show us the reality of who we are, whose we are, and what we're here to accomplish--our purpose.
GOD is waiting for us to finally LISTEN TO and ABIDE BY HIS WORD, BELIEVE IN and ACCEPT HIS SON, HEAR and HEED HIS VOICE, and FREELY SURRENDER to HIM that which is more precious than jewels or money: OUR HEARTS, SOULS, MINDS, and STRENGTH. And if we give these to Him, He has everything we have to offer, and we gain everything He has to give, foremost ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS LOVE and PRESENCE. And this is the truth of GOD'sWORD from Genesis to Revelation: GOD is LOVE, and HE LOVES US--HIS ADDICTS.
