Putting God first

"Love God with all your heart....."

Matthew 22:34 (NIV)

People who attend church will tell you they love God. Oftentimes, they will give reasons why they know they love God. They will remember times when they was singing in the car and tears ran down their check. Others will talk about how much they gave to the church. Still others will talk about the feeling they have when God's name is mentioned. How do you know you love God? 

Moses obeyed God in choosing to suffer for God than to enjoy the pleasure of this world (Hebrews 11). Luke 14:33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Philippians 3:8  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Abraham obeyed God by giving up his only son for God (Genesis 22). 

The Bible teaches us that listening to God's word brings a life-changing experience. The people in Nehemiah's day experienced this. In Nehemiah 8:18, the Bible says," Day after Day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God." As a result, people of God fasted, separated themselves, and confessed their sins (Nehemiah 9:1-3) 

Use every available means to listen to God's Word. For example, read the Bible, attend church services, participate in Bible study groups, listen to sermons and podcasts, and seek guidance from spiritual leaders. You will have a life-changing experience.