We are called to love God with our ENTIRE HEART, not just a portion of it. With God, it is all or nothin’. Believers cannot say, Here Lord, I’ve reserved this little section of my heart just for You. Nope! He expects the whole thing. After all, He is the one who gave us our new heart!
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
When we meditate on God’s love and acknowledge the depth of it (John 3:16) the Holy Spirit will convict us of our holding back on Him. Maybe we have a need for control, a strong will, a selfish attitude, or a fear that leads to self-protection. But our unwillingness to totally surrender to His love actually hinders our ability to grow spiritually. We must lose our life to find it! (Matthew 10:29) We must surrender the power of our own strength to acquire the supernatural power of His might.
God tells us how to show Him our love. We are to keep His word and keep His commandments. He will keep means to hold fast, observe, watch, and attend to carefully (Blueletterbible.org). First, in order to keep His word and commandments, we must know them! Second, God tells us how we are to observe and demonstrate them!
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 (NKJV)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’”  John 14:23 (NKJV)
 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 (NKJV)
The church is the Body of Christ and thus, His Bride. In marriage, intimacy deepens when failures and successes and shared. Solid relationships need time together along with open communication. Trust in the loved one is essential! According to God’s instruction, we are to know His word. This means we must spend time with Him by reading the Bible. Open communication is achieved through prayer. This communication requires an ability to listen! We are His sheep and as His sheep, we can hear His voice but it requires an open heart to receive the words of the Holy Spirit.
God’s love for us is so deep and detailed. He knows the number of hairs on our head! (Luke 12:17) He wants our fellowship. Thank goodness He is a patient God! In all honesty, how many times has the Holy Spirit knocked on your heart but you ignored Him? How would you feel if God ignored you because it was not convenient? He hears every prayer, every cry for help, every praise offering, and every sorrow.
If you have been keeping a part of your heart from God consider offering it to Him now. You will not regret it. His love will encompass you and fill you beyond measure.
“I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.” Psalm 86:12 (NKJV)
“I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 (NIV)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 (NKJV)