It All Depends On — Basilea Schlink

God lives and works today. He is offering us a relationship with Him today that can change everything, our life, our happiness, and our future. Today's meditation by Basilia Schlenk will tell us what this depends upon.

Loving God With a First Love

To give love and to receive love makes life meaningful, and to love God will give our lives the deepest fulfillment. Jesus, however, only recognizes one kind of love as the true love for God. It is called the first love.

First love is the love which has first place in our hearts above all other people and things that we love. We cannot divide our love for Jesus between Him and another person or object. His love is too great, too overwhelming, too powerful to be put into a heart that is already filled with other loves.

Jesus as the Beloved Son and Source of Fulfillment

Whoever really knows Jesus must love Him above everything, for He is the fairest of the sons of men. He is the reflected splendor of God the Father, the light of heaven, who fills all of heaven with His brightness.

He is absolute love, which embraces the love of all men. His countenance radiates only love, and He loves us more than any human being ever could. Sealed by His sacrifice on Calvary, His love gives us full satisfaction, yes, overflowing life and joy.

Jesus is waiting for us to return His love. However, in order to do this, we must change our priorities. Whatever has had first place in our lives must be put in second place, so that Jesus can take the first place.

Then He can live in our hearts. Then we will be joined in love with Him. And this union with Jesus, this union of mind and will, is an irresistible force. Today, Jesus is still offering His grace to us.

Grace, Peace, and Security in Troubled Times

In the face of our present world situation, He doesn't want us to despair. He doesn't want us to be ruled by fear and anguish, or to be unhappy. He wants to give us the love that neither Satan, hell, nor death can extinguish.

In this love for Him, He is offering us the most precious gifts of joy, peace, and security. Gifts that no one can ever take away from us. In this love for Him, He is offering us His aid, which is sufficient for every problem and trial.

Removing Idols and Bringing Them to the Cross

He is calling us to remove all other gods from our hearts. People, things, values, which we have put in first place and idolized. Let us bring them to Him, to His cross. There, the power of His blood can free us from even the strongest bondage.

The Greatest Gift: Loving Jesus

To love Jesus, what a royal calling. This love is the greatest gift there is, greater than people, objects, values, or any of the things that fill our lives. Jesus is asking us today, will you love me?

You have been listening to a program written by Basile Schlenk of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www .canaan .org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org.

If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.