So, this post is entitled, "do we love God enough?" . Again, finding post names is almost harder than posting. Anyways, I am going to tell a story. A story about a man who loved God. A story taken from Leonard Ravenhill's message that he heard when he was preaching throughout his life. And unfortunately I'm recalling this from memory, so there are bound to be mistakes here and there, but you'll get the general idea. Also, I don't really remember then name of the man in the story. It was something exotic almost, and started with a T. But since I can't remember I'm going to call him John. ok? Well here's a story that so greatly inspired me.
Once there was a man, John, who had great faith. And he preached the word of God day and night. The king didn't like this at all, so he sent a soldiers and a noble to find him to kill him. The soldier and noble went to the area where John lived and came to his house. They didn't know that he was the John they were looking for, they thought he was just a normal man in his estate. And so they asked, "We are looking for a man named John who lives around here. Do you know where he is?" John knew why they wanted him, but he just said this, "If you allow me to serve you tonight, and if you will stay in my estate, then in the morning I'll take you to John." At first, the Soldiers refused, because they had work to do. But then they decided to take up this strangers offer. After all, it was free lodging, it was company, why wouldn't they take it? Well, the Soldier and Noble stayed the night at John's estate. John washed their feet, fed them, he even preached the word of God. The soldier and Noble found is company pleasant. And then they went to sleep, after John made sure they had every comfort that they needed. And in the middle of the night, John got up and started digging a hole in the ground. He was praying to God all night while digging the hole he'd probably die in. And the next morning when the Soldier and Noble woke up they asked him to lead them to this John. John took them downstairs into his yard where he had dug the hole and he said, "Friends, there is no need to look any further, for I am John." The soldier and Noble were shocked. But the Noble said, "Kill him." The soldier gave his sword to the Noble and said, "I won't kill him." The noble took the sword and raised it above his head, and the last thing John said was, "I love you Lord Jesus." before they lobbed off his head. And he was buried in the grave he dug for himself in the night. And the soldier and noble left.
Not very uplifting, huh? Well, unfortunately, the stories of Martyrs lives aren't uplifting. I so wanted the Noble and the soldier to just leave John. And I thought they would. But they didn't, and John died in the grave he dug for himself. And the story really just touches me. Because I ask myself so many times, would I have that kind of faith and love for God? Would you? John knew what these men were going to do. He could have killed them, or ran away in the middle of the night, or pleaded for them to just spare him. He didn't have to invite them into his house. BUT HE DID. And that's the real point. He did it, for God's glory. He did it because he loved God, because he was willing to die for God. And really, do we love God that much? It's harsh to ask such a thing, but do we? Do I love God more than that man loved God? DO I? Well we can say, "Of course we love God! We do everything God asks us to do?" Well in Matthew 7:22-23 it says, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?' And the I will declare to them, 'I never knew you, DEPART FROM ME ALL YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." Those verses are scary. No wonder I couldn't find them marked in my bible. I usually underline things that are convicting or scary, but I didn't underline those. You know why? Because I wanted to reject them. But If you read it carefully notice two things. 1: He's not talking to unbelievers only! Yes, he's talking to US! Notice this, that the pleading people say, "did we not prophesy in YOUR NAME, and in YOUR NAME did we cast out demons, and in YOUR NAME perform miracles?" Yes I'm sure we all get it. These people did things in God's name. They knew perfectly well who God was, they were perfectly sure they were going to heaven. But God says DEPART FROM ME. Depart from me. Do we love God enough? And trust me, this is something that I've been struggling with. DO I LOVE GOD ENOUGH? It's either a YES or a NO. There's no maybe, there's no kind of, there's know 'well I did this..'. No, there is just you and God. DO WE LOVE GOD ENOUGH? DO WE? DO WE? Another thing I learned in that message {By Leonard Ravenhill} was this. From Scripture Acts 19:15, "But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And this ties together, because when Satan is before God on the judgement day, is he going to say before God, "Jesus I know, Paul I know, Hannah I know...." Is he going to say your name to? And I think that's one way to understand loving God. Do you love God so much, that the devil will say your name to God? That the devil will fear your name? That the devil will hate you and say, 'that's the one I couldn't get.' And that's why I quoted the other day, 'does the devil push you around or do you push the devil around?' If you love God, the devil can't push you around.
If you were to stand before the almighty God today and he asked you DO YOU LOVE ME? What would your answer be? God knows the heart. There is nothing hidden from him. What would the true answer be? Think about it.
And lastly, the solution for all this, is how can we love God? Well, start simple. REPENT. It was Jesus' and John the Baptists first command. "Repent and be forgiven for the Kingdom of God is near." and if you feel that you are lost, sometimes, as I have, I would encourage you by this verse.
From Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear."
That is our only hope. That the Lord will hear us. Let him hear you. Show him you love him by saying your sorry. Because honestly, most of us, I would think, wouldn't have an answer for God if he asked us that today. I know I wouldn't. I want to though. And if you have to repent and pray every night for the rest of your life just for God to consider hearing you, it's worth it. Because he WILL hear you. It says in his word. He will hear you.
So repent, and be forgiven.
~I hope your day is awesome!
{And may everything you do, be for His glory.}
-Hannah
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