Scripture reading: Mark 12:30
God says in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
This is the first rule we were given, the first law: Love God. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength.” (Mark 12:30) In order to love God, you must love Him as number one in your life; that is what He means. In other words, God is not saying that you have a mighty capacity to love like God loves. Your love might be like a little thimble in comparison to a big ocean, but if you put God first, if God is number one in your life, then you love God as much as God wants you to love Him. Do you understand? God is not asking you to do any impossible tasks. All He is asking you to do is to love Him as number one.
A little girl once said, “I love you, I love you way up in the sky.” Amen. She knew above her head was Number One. God wants you to have Him as number one.
Brethren, let us think about “number one” for a while. Many times God takes second place in our lives because we have other things that we count more important. The reason why you come to the meetings is not because you didn’t have anything else to do. Many of us have many other things to do and we could do them, we could enjoy these other things, but because we have a priority upon one thing, then we use the time to do that one thing. Sometimes you are tired; sometimes you are upset; sometimes you are in no condition to come to service, but to you it is important and so you sweep everything away and put it as number one. But there are other times when number one is something else for us. We are temper-mental – sometimes God is number one in our lives and sometimes He is not. We need to have a steady understanding. I would encourage you to take the Bible and read the law of the firstfruits. God has placed this law in the Bible because through it He is telling you that He should be number one. So whereas the Israelites would have firstfruits once a year, or in case of animals several times a year when the animals had their offspring, you have it every day. Your firstfruit is an everyday thing that God is giving you.
Every morning you say, “God…” When you go to bed at night you say, “God…” At midday it is, “God…” It is “God…” all through the day. If you notice the scripture says in Daniel that Daniel used to pray every morning, every midday and every evening. The Jews were taught to pray in the morning and at sunset. You are in a different order; you are called to something entirely different. God said, “Pray without ceasing.” It means that when you are going to do so and so, you say, “God…be with me.” You start to think about something and you say, “God…” Even in your dreams you will dream God first because it is ingrained, it is marked, it is carved in you like a carving on a chair. It is cut in, carved into your consciousness and your soul will come out with the brand of Jesus first. That is, if you continue to practice God first.
(Excerpt from “Led of the Spirit”, Foundational Teachings #077)
Thought for today: In order to love God, you must love Him as number one in your life.
Sonlight Devotional 