Scripture: John 21:17


And he said to Him, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
To love the Lord our God with all our heart is the first and most important commandment.

This commandment should also be the easiest of all commandments because the only reasonable response to the love God has shown us through Jesus Christ our Lord is to love Him back with all our heart. A love for God, therefore, should be a distinctive mark of every Christian.
How can we tell if a person loves the Lord?
• A person who loves the Lord will long for personal communion with God. The psalmist said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God”. (Psalm 42:1).
• A person who loves the Lord will passionately pursue the Great Commission.
• A person who loves the Lord will also love his fellow human being. The Bible says,” if a person says he loves God but hates his fellow human being, he is a liar.
• A person who loves the Lord will long for the return of Jesus. The apostle John prayed, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
• A person who loves the Lord will keep His commandments. Jesus Himself said, “if you love me, keep my commandments” ( John 14:15).


How do you measure up on the above criteria? “Do you love me?” Jesus asked Peter, and Peter answered, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you”.
Jesus is still asking this question to all of us: “Do you love me?” I wonder what your answer would be.


Prayer: Lord, I love you. Help me offer my life as a living sacrifice to you. Scriptural Reading: John 21:15-18