Loving Jesus

1 Cor. 2:9 Things which Eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not come up in man's heart; things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

The first thing, the main thing and the primary thing is to love the Lord. We can serve God, study the word, pray, preach the gospel, know the doctrines even give our bodies to be burned, yet without love to the Lord all these count for nothing.

To love Him is to love Him for Himself alone, not for what He has or will do for you. We appreciate to the uttermost what He has done for us but we love Him simply for Himself.
The church in Ephesus in Revelation two had one great lack. She had left her first love. No matter what they had done to serve the Lord Jesus, He still said, "I have against you because you have left your first love.

If we would examine American Christianity don't you also feel that this is one of the key failures? How many Christains do you meet who talk about loving Jesus, seeking Him and longing to be together with those who also want only Him? With the Lord in Deuteronomy 6:29 we also would say, "Oh, that we all would have such a heart..."