Equally Important

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. EPHESIANS 3:17 TLB 

The deepest desire of every person in this world is to be loved – loved as they are and wherever they are on their life journeys. God has eternally satisfied that desire through Jesus. We have a lifelong calling to extend His love to every person we meet. The dark, difficult days we all face can tempt us to be fearful and isolate ourselves, dimming the light of unconditional love. It’s needed more than ever. We can make it shine brighter than ever by keeping our hearts secure in God’s marvelous love. If we want our roots to grow deeper and stronger, we have to be diligent about staying close to Him. Only then will we understand how immovable perfect love is and how invaluable it is to share it with others. 

Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37–39 NLT). The greatest commandments are love-centered. There’s nothing on this earth that matters more than loving God first. Having that in place puts everything else in perspective—and makes every relationship in our lives a priority. 

Loving You is the way I learn to love others, Lord. My desire is to deepen that love every day.  

This is an excerpt from In This Together: 90 Devotions on the Book of Ephesians – a devotional now available for pre-order on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.