We all know the story of Samson and Delilah. (If you don’t know it, it’s a good one to use to teach your children why picking the right spouse God has for you is so important!) While reading the account of these two in Judges 16 this week, an interesting verse stood out to me. In this particular verse Delilah is speaking to Samson, trying to get him to disclose to her the secret behind his strength. But when I read the question she posed to Samson in Judges 16:15, a different thought hit my mind, which has nothing to do with Samson or Delilah. It was like the Lord was asking ME this very soul searching question.
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me?
Judges 16:15
Do you love God?
I would dare say all of you reading this right now would answer and say, yes! I love the Lord greatly. He has done great and mighty things for me, how can I not love him? But when we consider the truth Delilah has brought forth in our verse, referenced above, she knew that truly loving someone is not possible unless your whole heart is in it. Can we honestly say we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind as we are instructed to in Deuteronomy 6:5?
How can one know for sure if they love the Lord with their whole heart? After all, the Bible says a man’s heart is deceitful and wicked…who can know it?
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:21
Are your heart and treasures more invested in things of this world, or things of God?
When your mind wanders, does it wander to earthly things, or your ministry? When you look back on your day, how much time was spent in prayer, and pursuing things of godliness versus worldliness? At the end of the year, can you look back and see how much money (and other resources) you spent on furthering God’s kingdom, versus furthering yours?
The things of this life we live now are temporary, and can be a distraction from the things of God, and our future in heaven with him. The treasures we lay up in heaven are divine, and will last forever. How can we say we love God, when our heart is with things in the world? Let us be busy winning souls for Christ, teaching and memorizing scripture, praying for others, and working in our Churches! That is how you know you truly love God.
