If you were to ask most Christians, "Do you love God?" I'm sure that most of them would say, "Yes!" We are commanded in scripture to love God. Jesus reminds us that we "must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." (Mark 12:30) This is even called the "first commandment."

Do we express our love to God from our hearts?

Do we say, "I love you God?"

Do we do it willingly and joyfully?

Marriage is used as an illustration for our relationship to the Lord. We are called the bride of Christ. Just like a wife likes hearing her husband say the words, "I love you," God enjoys hearing that from us. He is our Father and enjoys hearing us express our love ... if it is from the heart. So, what if you gave your wife flowers and said, "I'm supposed to do this, so here!" Would that mean very much?

In our worship, do we express love to God from our hearts, or are we just singing, praying, communing, and obeying because we are "supposed to"? We don't just worship God because we are terrified of Him. We worship God because we love Him. We look around and see all that He has created and it makes us stand in awe of His majesty, power, and grace. When we think of what He has done for us personally, it makes us want to say, "Thank You!" It moves us to tell Him, "I love You." He has blessed us, protected us, helped us, provided for us, and most of all, He has saved us. How can we not express our love?

How can we not express our love?
If we really love God, we will want to obey Him. Jesus reminds us, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21) To love the LORD with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength is not a passive love; it is a very active love. It will not only be seen by our words, but by our actions ... by our actions in our church and personal worship (singing, praying, reading Scripture) as well as in our daily worship (obeying).

Love God. Express it to him often. He enjoys hearing it. He can tell it is coming from your heart. And remember, we don't have to wait for a church service to express our love to God. We can do it all through the day by living a life of obedience to Him and His Word.

O LORD God, may my words and my life show You that I love You!