God wants to come first. This is His price. And for the rich young ruler, the price was too high. He had too much room in his heart for material things. The bible tells us you cannot serve God and mammon, you cannot love money or material things more than God. And we think sometimes, my goodness, God is so demanding, and yes God does demand so much, but whoever loses his life for the sake of the gospel gets so much more than what they give. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for his sake will find it (Matthew 10:39).
And after Christ had died, he came to Peter and challenged him and said to him in John 21:15 “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?” And this is the challenge of Almighty God for many of us! God is saying do you love me more than anything else in your life, your family, your friends, your new car, your career, whatever it is God is jealous over you and wants all your love and attention.
And Peter had denied Christ three times and at the end of John 21, he went back to his old trade, he went fishing, he had really given up on God. He could see no hope and he went to the only thing that could take care of him, and provide for his needs. And God was making it hard for Peter. He fished all night and caught nothing. And God was holding back to get Peter’s attention, sometimes God will do that, sometimes things don’t work out and it’s because God wants to get our attention.
And God was wanting to show Peter and the disciples that if they put God first he would meet all of their needs but there was a priority issue that needed taking care of. And Peter was one of those people who said well if there is nothing more in this following Jesus it’s over for me, I need to get on with my life. And He did. And it wasn’t working out. And God challenged Peter even in spite of all He had done, And God will do that for you, He will never give up on you, He will never leave you or forsake you and He is faithful even when we are faithless.
And many times we say God I will not let you go until you bless me and God was saying to Peter I will not let you go until I bless you, God was helping this man out, he was helping Him to follow. What an awesome God we serve. He never gives up on his children no matter where they at are in life.
Peter thought, I have time on my hands, I don’t know what else to do so I’ll do the only thing I know to do. He was looking to the natural realm to sustain him and he got his eyes of the Source of all things. We always need to remember who the Source is, and God came to him to remind him that day and they caught so many fish they couldn’t draw the net in (John 21:6).
Jesus was saying if you love me more than anything else, I will take care of you supernaturally. And the bible tells us the way of the transgressor is hard, because God opposes the disobedient, but his grace is there for those who look to him and stay in a place of humility. If you want God’s blessing in your life, if you want the intervention of God, hate to break it to you, but you have to be madly in love with Jesus.
And God is like an all consuming fire and He is hungry for you, he wants all of your love and devotion and He comes to consume everything, and He wants to be your first love. I believe God moves the most powerfully when nothing else matters but Jesus. Revelation 2:5-6 “But I have this one charge to make against you: that you have abandoned the love that you had at first. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent and the works previously when you first knew the Lord.”
Jesus is expressing his heart to the Church here and saying I want you to love me first, more than anything else, he is looking at you with eyes of fire, calling you to repent of everything and anything that separates you from his love. God wants the very best for you and he knows that you will have it if you love him above everything else in your life.
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