Sometimes in the midst of discipleship, the most fundamental and most important facet is lost, the need to love the Lord. Although it may sound a bit elementary at first, loving the Lord is at the heart of everything we do or do not do as disciples (Matthew 22:37-40). Some view only discipleship as a bunch of “do and do nots.” Viewing our service to God considering just “rules” makes our Christianity very mechanical and ritualistic. Quite clearly, that attitude takes away the joy of serving God. This was the greatest downfall of the Pharisees. They viewed their following God as a removal of the heart and volition, as they boiled their relationship to God down to simply a bunch of rules (Matthew 23:23).
Why are you a disciple? Why have you made the choice to follow Jesus? The Psalmist summed up an amazing reason for us to consider.
I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. (Psalm 116:1-6 NKJV)
Like the Psalmist, I love the Lord because of His care. “I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me…” (Psalm 116:1-2a). Wonderfully and encouragingly, God’s ears are available to us day and night! God never grows weary or tired of hearing His children or their problems and heartaches. David so wonderfully penned, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17). “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me – A prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8). I love the Lord because He really does care!
Like the Psalmist, I love the Lord because of His capability.“The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!’” (Psalm 116:3-4). Not only is God willing to hear us and cares for us, but He is the only One Who can fix my sorrows! Life is sometimes filled with distress, trouble and sorrow. Who can really help you when you hear your doctor say, “There is nothing we can do”? Who can really help you when you feel all alone? Who can truly calm your spirit in the midst of anxiety and worry? My God is capable! He is the only truly capable One Who can turn the night into day, the sorrow into celebration and the pain into power. “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:9-10). Still further, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). I love the Lord because He is capable!
Like the Psalmist, I love the Lord because of His compassion. “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me” (Psalm 116:5-6). Compassion is such a wonderful characteristic to behold, especially if you are on the receiving end of it. Compassion comes from a Latin word that means “to suffer with.” The very truth that the Creator cares for the creation is compassion! The Perfect caring for the imperfect is compassion! God, Who needs nothing, extending His mercy and help to us, who need everything, is by far the greatest example of compassion ever seen. God’s compassion and help are evident in the sending of His Son to die for a lost race (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:6-8). God’s love and compassion are motivating reasons to love the Lord (1 John 4:10). Viewing a destroyed city, with tear-filled eyes, Jeremiah focused on God’s compassion. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Serving God is not only about rules – dos and don’ts. Sadly, some live their entire Christian lives and never really stop to think about why they are His disciples. While Satan wants us to forget, may we always remember God cares, is capable and is compassionate. I love the Lord! How about you?
