With All Your Soul: 8 Ways to Love the Lord

My husband’s grandmother passed away recently. At the service, Scott’s brother-in-law who’s a pastor, spoke of Grandma Alice’s witness to her family. Grandma Alice loved Jesus. She was sure of God’s love, forgiveness, and gift of eternal life in Christ… loving God with all her soul, devoting her life to his work, living according to his Word, and trusting in the Lord with all aspects of her life. She declared her love and faithfulness to Christ in all she did.

Paul explains how souls are saved in his letter to the Romans. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:8-13).

As saved children of God, what does loving God with one’s soul look like? Here’s what the Bible has to say about loving the Lord with one’s soul.

• Be devoted. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God (1 Chronicles 22:19).
• Be worshipful. Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name (Psalm 103:1).
• Be hopeful. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him (Psalm 62:5).
• Be obedient. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul (Joshua 22:5).
• Be trusting. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7)
• Be available. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:2).
• Be watchful. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26)
• Be thankful. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

With these thoughts in mind, continue this week with the pledge for the month: May I treasure YOU Lord, above all things and trust you in everything. May I love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30

© 2014 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.

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