"Love Jesus More Than All !"

There was a little portion of the closing Text in yesterday's blog that is easily overlooked; two little words that are kind of buried within 1 Peter 1:8, "Ye Love". This is placed here within the Text as if it is common knowledge; but, in the context of the passage, the subject, and how we are to remain strong through a trial, it is the Key. Whatever we are going through; whatever we have lost; whatever we are suffering in, even to the point of death, we must Love Him More; more than even life itself; more than we even love ourselves. If we take a look at Luke 14:26-35, we will see that there is great cost involved in our service to the Lord; however, Do Not mistake this 'Cost' with reckless abandonment; that is not how it is meant. For example, in verse 26, Jesus says, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." This word 'hate' here in this text means exactly that: Hate; that might seem a little harsh for words, yes? But really, the Greek word is 'Miseo', which means: To hate; however, in the text above, it really means 'To Love Less'. The point is this: That compared to the Love we have for Jesus, God in the flesh, our love for anyone else, including ourselves, will seem like hatred. This is made clear in Matthew 10:37, "He that loveth father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." So, when it comes to counting the cost, and the 'Talents' which we spoke of yesterday: In order to spend what you are spending on what you are purchasing, you would have to weigh your money to determine how much it was worth; which then determines how much you could buy. What this means is that there must be a predetermined allotment of money in your bag for what you are trying to purchase; otherwise, you come up short. What exactly does that mean? In other words; we have to make our commitment to the Lord such, that not even life itself will sway our love for Him. It is something that is settled within our hearts; that everything, or everyone else counts as nothing compared to Him. Otherwise, when something, or someone else is lost, we will come up short! "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the First and Great Commandment." (Matthew 22:37 & 38)