Devotedness to God, particularly through the lens of loving Him, is a central theme throughout the Bible. This concept is foundational to the relationship between God and His people, emphasizing the importance of love as the greatest commandment and the essence of true worship and obedience.

The Greatest Commandment

The call to love God is most explicitly stated in the Shema, a traditional Jewish prayer found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This commandment underscores the totality of devotion required, encompassing every aspect of one's being.

Jesus reaffirms this commandment in the New Testament, highlighting its preeminence. In Matthew 22:37-38 , Jesus responds to a question about the greatest commandment: "Jesus declared, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Here, Jesus emphasizes that loving God is the foundation upon which all other commandments rest.

Expressions of Love for God

Loving God is not merely an emotional or abstract concept but is demonstrated through actions and obedience. In John 14:15 , Jesus states, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." This verse links love for God with obedience, suggesting that true love is evidenced by a life lived in accordance with God's will.

The Psalms provide numerous examples of love for God expressed through worship, praise, and trust. Psalm 18:1 declares, "I love You, O LORD, my strength." This expression of love is intertwined with recognition of God's power and protection.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The ability to love God is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 explains, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables believers to experience and express genuine love for God, transforming their hearts and lives.

Love as a Response to God's Love

The love of God is not initiated by human effort but is a response to God's prior love for humanity. 1 John 4:19 states, "We love because He first loved us." This verse highlights the initiating love of God, which calls forth a reciprocal love from believers. God's love, demonstrated supremely through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, serves as the ultimate motivation for devotedness to Him.

Challenges and Encouragements

While the call to love God is clear, believers often face challenges in maintaining this devotion amidst worldly distractions and personal struggles. The Bible offers encouragement and reminders of God's faithfulness. In Romans 8:38-39 , Paul assures believers that nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus, providing a foundation of security and hope.

The pursuit of loving God is a lifelong journey, marked by growth and deepening relationship. As believers seek to love God more fully, they are encouraged to draw near to Him, as James 4:8 promises, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." This promise assures believers of God's readiness to respond to their devotion with His presence and grace.Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 10:27
And he answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Crucifixion.
... The power of earthly love, of the devotedness of mother, wife ... will go: shall we then
deny to God the happiness of ... ways, and cannot fit us by His loving care for ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xxi the crucifixion.htm

The Father Seen in Christ.
... mean that Jesus in His holy and loving ways and in the whole of His character was
God's very image ... that the self-sacrifice and humility and devotedness of Jesus ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/x the father seen in.htm

Preface
... capital and estates, after knowing that our loving Father will ... part of a year's income
for God"say one ... I think, would be called Christian devotedness by many ...
//christianbookshelf.org/groves/christian devotedness/preface.htm

The Message.
... and they further felt assured that "loving him at ... ours "to take encouragement in
prayer from God only;""to ... nothing of our own"our poor devotedness, or our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/memories of bethany/v the message.htm

Letters of St. Bernard
... 958] If there is any love, any devotedness, any good ... that the Spirit which you have
from God[959] bears ... it be, is yours.[962] You also, most loving and most ...
/.../st bernard of clairvauxs life of st malachy of armagh/letters of st bernard.htm

Our Lord's Sacerdotal Prayer
... Entire devotedness was to be the type of their ... rich grace in the heart: "I pray God
your whole ... our truant hearts make to this earnest, loving, Christly longing ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xi our lords sacerdotal prayer.htm

Jehovah Tsidkenu: the Lord Our Righteousness
... the utmost resources of love in the deep devotion and self-sacrifice of loving. ... Christ
with unrighteousness to man, or with a want of devotedness to God. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/jehovah tsidkenu the lord our.htm

The Dark Shadow
... hopeless confusion with acts of true faith and devotedness. ... ignorant devotion was
sweet as the loving service of ... and for sin the judgment of God, " the first ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter li the dark shadow.htm

The Attractive Force of the Cross.
... nothing more pathetic, than the fearless and loving spirit in ... of tenderest and utterly
self-sacrificing devotedness to us ... and firmest relations to the God of all ...
/.../iv the attractive force of.htm

Calcutta and the Mission Centres from Delhi to Amboyna
... of England as well as of India, and all with a loving tenderness and ... and holy character
of God; live a life of prayer and devotedness to God; cherish every ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter vii calcutta and the.htm

What does it mean to be devout? | GotQuestions.org

Devotedness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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