Expressing Our Love To God (In A Surprising Way)
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
We talk a lot about how to express love in relationships. Even in the Christian circles. Most of us have probably heard of or maybe even read the book about the 5 love languages, a book which teaches us how to best express love to the people in our lives depending on what their love language is. But when it comes to expressing love to God the book we look to is the Bible to gain insight on the subject. And this week as I was reading in the book of Deuteronomy a verse popped out that showed me how we could express love to God in a way that was surprising. Let me share it with you, it’s from Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse 22 where it reads:
"Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him." Deuteronomy 11:22 NLT
Holding Tightly To Him
Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to Him. While there are other verses in the Bible which also teach us how to love God, this verse showed me how to do it in a way I had never thought of before: by walking in His ways and holding tightly to Him.
Walking in his ways seems rather obvious, but the fact that I can show love to God by holding tightly to Him, reveals to me a part of His character I never grasped before. I’ve held tightly to God in many moments in my life and always thought of it as a selfish act, only benefiting me. But here we see that God sees love when we do so!
So let us hold tightly to Him. Not only when life is hard. Not only when we need something, but 24-7-365.
Hold tightly when we are poor and when we are prospering.
Hold tightly when we are hurting and when we are thriving.
Hold tightly when we are alone and when we are surrounded by friends.
Hold tightly when we are experiencing heartbreak and when we are falling in love.
Hold tightly when we are unemployed and when get the dream job.
Hold tightly when we are sad and when happiness is in abundance.
Commentary Insight
In a commentary on the website
the Bible Says, we're taught the following about these verses:
"The Israelites were asked to hold fast to God. To hold fast means 'to cling,' 'to cleave,' or 'to keep close.' The verb expresses emotional closeness and loyalty."
God doesn’t just want our surface level commitment or a relationship where we hold Him at arms length away. He wants one of emotional closeness and loyalty. He doesn’t want lukewarmness from anyone of us, but a relationship of on-fire love. And He wants us to express our love to Him by holding tightly to Him. How beautiful is that?
Showering God With Our Love
Like a father who wants his child to jump into his arms not just when he’s scared, but also when his child is happy, God wants us to cling to Him every day in everything that we go through. When we do, when we walk in His ways and hold tightly to Him, we are showering our God with our love and what a privilege it is to do so! Closing off with another verse that echoes the one we read in Deuteronomy. This one is found in Joshua 22 verse 5.
"But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul." Joshua 22:5, NLT
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