Kept!

Kept!

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21 KJV

There is a progression. Just before Jesus went the way of the cross, He took time to show and teach His disciples what it meant to follow Christ. Today's extract speaks to a part of that charge and it has to be fully understood that what counts before God isn't head knowledge but life application. It is one thing to have God's Word; in fact, the Bible is one of the most printed book in the world today, and in several languages, so it is quite easy to know what it says. It goes beyond what you read into what you keep. Your treasures reflect your pursuits and priorities.

If all I know are the passages that speak to earthly prosperity, how do I stand when the trials of life come? If all I focus on are battles, how do I know God's mind on his provision for the life of Godliness He has called me to? It is important to have the full knowledge of who God is and what He has freely given, so I can be all He has called me to be. And the keeping is the sign of love for God. Men see the outflow of God in your life, but they see nothing about the time, resources and energy that have gone into studying to know God through His Word. When men look at me, what flows out of me? Can the output of my life draw men to God?

And the reward for a life of knowledge and obedience is a life full of the manifestations of the presence of God. When Jesus says God will love those who keep his commands, He says that the one sure way to get favour is to follow God closely. You can't do it from afar; you have got to daily seek out truth and pursue it. God must be your most important search and treasure. Love isn't about what you say: it is about who you know and follow, and which will reflect in what you do. For me, what is my present state? What's it going to be for you? His time of favour is here.