Introduction

Today, we will address a topic entitled Loving God with Utmost Devotion. I find this phrase exceptionally good because the word love is excellent. However, the word love should only be used in loving Jesus; it sounds odd when one says they love an idol. Today, we will discuss “Loving God with Utmost Devotion.”

In the previous few Sundays, I spoke on Counting All Things as Loss, That I May Gain Christ, and last Sunday, I talked about Meditating on God's Word Day and Night. Some people who listened questioned the practicality of my teachings: If we meditate on God's Word day and night, will we still work? Such teachings may bring about much confusion, which I deem normal. When confusion arises, you ought to examine and understand.

Yesterday, as I pondered this matter, I realised that people deem important what they love. If one loves money, then money becomes important to them. Someone who loves God finds God to be crucial. Some consider Jesus Christ as the ultimate treasure, discovering that many other things are not important. Others see everything as important, leading to confusion. Some love bags, others love clothing, and some love playing video games, but the question is: Have we carefully examined the outcomes of these people? Examine carefully, and avoid hastily dismissing things.

When I speak of counting all things as loss, that I may gain Christ, and meditating on God's Word day and night, my aim is to remove the rubbish in our minds. Some might say it is like brainwashing. It is not, but it is necessary, just as someone who does not wash their hair for a year would have foul-smelling hair. Thus, the things people store in their minds are not understood through examination, but seemingly known without real knowledge. If you are a person who examines matters thoroughly, you will certainly observe certain things.

Yesterday, I took my mother to see my first employer when I had just arrived in Singapore; he is also a Christian. Seeing my mother's remarkable recovery from two years of dementia—her eloquent speech—raised questions in his mind: How is this possible? I feel grateful all along the way as I wholeheartedly devote myself to loving God. Seeing my mother's healing process, I am deeply thankful. The path of loving God is so good! When mentioning loving God with utmost devotion, I am truly a person who wholeheartedly loves God.

From the day I believed in the Lord, I have been very focused. No matter what I do, I am never careless. For example, when it comes to loving God with utmost devotion, I was not able to in the beginning, but I put great heart into exploring and seeking. I have read the Bible many times. I had read other scriptures, but I didn't really understand them. Later, I understood that when I first read the Bible, I did not think it was a scripture because it was full of simple stories, yet the Bible is very easy to read. Those difficult things, when something is too difficult to read, the author himself may not be clear about it, so how can you understand it?

As I walked along the way, I found that the rewards gained from loving God with utmost devotion are truly abundant. Those who walk with me on the path of loving God with utmost devotion today are truly blessed. Yesterday, I asked some colleagues who served with me, Do you love God with utmost devotion? I do not think they had ever thought about this. I had not often spoken this phrase, but I spoke of loving your God with all your heart, soul and strength, but I saw a blank look on their faces. I am determined to make this clear, I must make it clear!

Over the years, very miraculous things have happened. The Bible records:

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. (1 Samuel 3:19)

I said that this is very good! I said that I also hope so, and such things have happened to me, that God did not let my words fall to the ground. For example, I believed that my mother would be healed, and she really was healed. Because I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and strength, but what I see in Christians is often not like this.

When I say this, many Christians feel uncomfortable because it is difficult for them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and strength. They love many things, many things are important to them, but for me, God is the most important. If my words do not fall to the ground, do you not think it is very miraculous? Like the brothers and sisters who walk with me today, compared to those around them, it is truly obvious, there is no harm in comparison.

For example, similarly as pastors, yesterday when I met my former boss, he was telling me how miserable a certain pastor was, because in his observation he concluded that these people treat being a pastor as a job, which I absolutely do not. During the conversation, he mentioned someone who also established a church and also ran a seminary, but the seminary was done in an unclear way, and the church was also unclear, and recently he was kicked out by the church. He lost his job and also became depressed, and lives by taking antidepressants every day. Similarly as pastors, if you do it like this, what do you think? To be honest, it is not very hard for a person to not love the Lord our God with all his heart, soul, and strength and also be a pastor?

For those who love God, what God prepares for them is visible, because what God prepares are very good things. If a person does not love God, it is truly a curse! Some people pray for their mother, but it would be better if they did not pray, their problems worsen with praying. Many times we do not know why, this is actually due to loving God or not loving God. If we compare, we can see the results of loving God and not loving God. God will definitely not make a mistake!

From the beginning of my service until now, constantly filtering, not many people followed me all the way down. The first group of brothers and sisters who followed me in service until now, when they compare with their classmates, it is simply worlds apart! Today, we really need to carefully examine and examine ourselves whether we love God with utmost devotion.

Scripture

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:1-16)

Prayer

Lord Jesus, reveal Your power today in our midst, lifting up those who love You so that they are above all the nations of the earth; let all disasters not be able to come near those who love You! Lord, do this wonderful work today, and ask You to raise up those who love You, let them become a blessing to this generation, and also become vessels of this generation that manifest Your glory! Pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Loving God with Utmost Devotion and Following God with Utmost Devotion Are Key

One sentence I often say is that a single disaster in a person's life can put a full stop to it. Three meals a day cannot determine your destiny. Even if you study hard and work hard, it is not likely to determine your destiny.

What can determine your destiny? It is sudden events; disasters and catastrophes often determine a person’s destiny. These cause a sharp turning point, and if the turn is not made well, life comes to an end. We often arrange and plan many things in our lives. If no sudden events occur, it seems that the arrangements are not bad. However, if a car accident occurs, destiny takes a sharp turn! Such things often determine a person’s destiny.

The scripture says:

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (Psalm 91:3-6)

Man can rely on hard work for anything, but no matter how hard you try, disasters are useless. For example, if you are driving on the highway and suddenly get hit by a large truck, such sudden events can have serious consequences. No one likes sudden events.

Why do I encourage everyone to love God with utmost devotion? Loving God with utmost devotion is extremely important! Our church has relatively high requirements, requiring everyone to love God with utmost devotion. Some people worry about their work, family, and children's education. These can all be done. Even if these problems are solved, they cannot solve the problem of disasters! We must know that loving God with utmost devotion can avoid many disasters.

How many disasters will happen in a person's life, we do not know! People who have experienced disasters know, if they put their mind into it. In fact, people do not know that they really cannot manage disasters! Therefore, people really need God. However, many Christians are nominally Christian, but they do not love God with utmost devotion, so this Christian status cannot stop disasters either. Only Christians who love God with utmost devotion can resist disasters, because:

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. (Psalm 91:11-13)

In other words, in the spiritual world, disasters are closely related to the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm, those who love God with utmost devotion have God's angels to protect them. Although you have not seen it, it does not matter. As long as we love God with utmost devotion, you will be successful in everything.

Why will you be successful in everything, abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and disaster will not come near you? Because God's angels are protecting you! You say how great is this! Although you have not seen it, so you do not know, but if you examine it carefully, you will discover some phenomena: some people are blessed, and some people are cursed. There is a saying When you are unlucky, you choke even drinking cold water. Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, disasters have nothing to do with this!

The most fatal thing is: God says I will set him on high, I will honor him, With long life I will satisfy him (Psalm 91:14-15). Who does not want these things? No one wants to be at the bottom, everyone wants to be above all the nations, to be able to live with honor, and to be able to be satisfied with long life. These are all related to loving God with utmost devotion. If you do not love God with utmost devotion, it is difficult to do this!

If you see the miracles I perform, you will find that God really listens to my prayers. I have talked a lot about the effects of my service, and some people like to worship masters as a result, and travel a long distance to find me. But it is useless to find me. In fact, if you can get my personal service now, it is a special grace. Because I spend a lot of time in training people to do what I do. But if you come to me with a mindset of worshiping a master, I want you to know that what you need is not a master, but to love God with utmost devotion. If you look for someone like me, why not become someone like me, is this not better?

There are really many helpless things in a person's life. It does not feel good to see helpless things. Two years ago, when I saw my mother getting dementia, I felt really sad! As soon as she went to the toilet, she would play with feces. Later I found out that the devil made her play with feces; as soon as the devil touched her and breathed a breath, she immediately saw the feces as glutinous rice strips in her eyes. She would sometimes ask me: Have I eaten it? Who knows! The devil is really bad. After seeing this situation, it was really despair and helplessness!

But I have God, and God listens to my prayers. So today my mother began to recover!

The spiritual realm is really real! My mother often saw a kind of worm rolling a small ball. She pointed to a certain place and asked me to look, but I didn't see anything. She said that the worms were very old! She gestured to me what the worm looked like, and I searched it on the Internet. It turned out to be a dung beetle! If this kind of spirit is attached to a person, the person will play with feces and think feces is a treasure, just like a dung beetle. Do dung beetles not compete with each other for the feces ball? Treating the feces ball as a treasure, which is the dung beetle! What things you see as treasures are really important.

As a result, I grabbed my mother's chest and she had severe pain in her chest! As soon as I grabbed it, the dung beetle spirit went out, and she was okay.

What can people do when they are helpless? Not to mention anything else, just treating insomnia, I have cured so many people. People with insomnia want to sleep but cannot sleep. If you cannot even control sleep, what else can people control? Sleep, disasters, life and death... People cannot control many things! But those who love God with utmost devotion, that is, who love this God who loves us, is really necessary!

So sometimes I get angry. Some time ago, I didn't know if I tripped one of our sisters. Her mind was full of confusion, thinking that she was about to lose her job. Because she is in her forties, that is the age of encountering a mid-life crisis. A mid-life crisis is very serious. The salary is very high, but there are not many positions, it is too high to reach and too low to accept, there are old people above and young people below. If there is no job, it is still very serious. But today the good news is that as long as you love God with utmost devotion and follow God with utmost devotion, God will set you on high, make you honorable, and make you satisfied with long life.

Believing is the starting point, loving God is the purpose

I often talk about faith. However, believing in the Lord is only the starting point, loving God is the purpose. People often forget the goal, which is troublesome. I often see Christians with great confusion. For example, in Matthew, it says that some people cast out demons and performed miracles, but the Lord said that He did not know them (Matthew 7:21-23). Why? Some Christians think that the Lord Jesus does not like them casting out demons. In fact, what is the key fact of this passage of scripture? The answer is in Matthew 25:

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did not do it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:41-45)

Do you see it? If you have not done it to the least of my brothers, you have not done it to me. That is, when you see these things, you do not care, because you do not think they have anything to do with the Lord Jesus. This is because there is no love in you! If you have a heart to love God in you, you will be very heartbroken when you see these things, and you will very much hope to bring them into the blessing and release them from bondage. So what is the reason for the Lord Jesus? It is not because they cast out demons that He does not know them, but because there is no love in them!

Believing in the Lord is only the starting point, because you will directly see miracles and wonders, because signs and wonders will follow those who believe, which are done by God, because you believe. However, believing in the Lord is only a starting point, and you cannot stay at the starting point. The goal is to enter into the love of God. Loving God is the purpose. Those who love God will shepherd the flock of God. People have all kinds of hobbies, which is normal, but loving God is very important.

In a person's life, you must grasp the big things. Of course, it starts from the small things, and the goal is to grasp the big things. If you earn $1 for doing a job, earn $10 for doing another job, earn $100 for doing a third job, earn $1,000 for doing a fourth job, and earn $10,000 for doing a fifth job, then of course you have to earn as much as possible. It is very simple logic. We must know that believing in the Lord is only the starting point. If you only stay at believing in the Lord for the rest of your life, you are not going to love God, this person is accursed. So today we must go from believing in God to loving God. Those who love God will shepherd the flock of God.

Why do some people get so tired of shepherding the flock of God? Because they do not love God, how can they not be tired? Will those who love God be tired of paying the price for loving God? Yes, but they are willing to be tired. Because of the love of God, they are willing to let go of many things for God. If anyone loves the world, the love of God is not in him. These are two contradictory concepts.

Today there are too few churches that shepherd. Yesterday, when I met my former boss, who is also a pastor, he said, My responsibility is to give sermons. Shepherding is a matter between your members. Everyone he meets says this. I think, are these people people who love God? These people are not people who love God, but have a hired-worker mindset. Now abide faith, hope, and love, that is, to let us enter into the abiding faith, hope, and love, only faith, hope, and love, the love here refers to the love of loving God.

Today I encourage the brothers and sisters to open their eyes and see the needs of this era. There are too many people who need to be served. It is a very simple matter for people to have God when they are alive. How much does a person need in this life? How much can you eat? How much can you drink? How many houses can you live in? If you have a thousand houses, you cannot live in them all. You do not have a thousand backs to lie on, nor a thousand butts to sit on? Do people not have one body? Do people not need just one bed? Do not need too much.

What I mean is that it is a very simple thing for people to live, but we people make it too complicated. Therefore, people live very tiredly. But if a person loves God and does not love this world, God will surely set us on high, let us live with honor, and be satisfied with long life. All our needs in life are not difficult to satisfy. But it is very difficult to live with that kind of honor.

Some time ago, one of our sisters served her family, and she was very hurt inside, because her family only understood when she spoke out her heart. Because no one in this family respects her, no one thinks she is honorable, and she herself does not think she is honorable. In fact, nothing happened, but she feels uncomfortable inside. If people are like this, how can they not be tired? Why should people respect you? So loving of money, and also unfilial. People are able to accept you, which is already very good, but still not satisfied.

Every family has its problems, and our family also has its problems. Many times, we will find that if people's needs are not met, it is useless even if they have money. What is the use? Many things are not satisfied, many problems, but today I want to tell you that people who love God lack none of these, people who love God lack no good thing. Today, what you love, you will pay the price for. There is no doubt about this. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Those Who Serve God Lack Nothing

If your treasure is in Jesus Christ, and you regard Him as the most precious thing, you will love God, and you will not feel weary when you serve. Many find serving tiring because they do not love God. They serve and then develop cancer. There are not many pastors like me who enjoy serving. Although serving is hard, it is also joyful because I love God, and God is clearly with me. Those who serve God lack nothing. The God I pray to accomplishes everything for me. It is truly wonderful!

Today, all our brothers and sisters, even if you have just started believing, remember one thing: Believing is just the beginning, loving God is the goal! Love the God who created us, love the God who loves us, and start being willing to pay the price for Him! If we pay the price for what we love, ask ourselves, can these things prevent all disasters for me? Can these things make me honorable? Can these things make me live long? If not, why do I still love them?

A few days ago, the father of one of our sisters went into the toilet and never came out. I think we should let go of all our worries, because what we worry about cannot bring us any protection. Those things only become our worries. What we should worry about most is whether we wholeheartedly love God, love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and wholeheartedly follow Him. Only He can lead us away from all troubles and disasters. Only He can protect us. Only He can provide us with all the necessities of life. Only He can enable us to live a life of dignity and glory in this world. Only He is the one we look to and rely on.

What we thought we could rely on in the past is unreliable. Can work and business be relied on? No! Everything in this world will pass away, but love will last forever! Today I want to tell everyone the most excellent way, which is love.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all my possessions to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)

Today, brothers and sisters, we must know that our God is love, and love never fails. If you want to live out God's glorious image, live out God's love and share it with others!

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)

Strive to Pursue Love for God

Therefore, we should no longer be children in this world, but strive to pursue and love the Lord your God with all your heart and strength. This is the greatest commandment! If we are willing to love God today, troubles, disasters, diseases, and plagues will not come upon you! All things in this world have become less important to us. If worldly things are no longer important, why should we worry? If we no longer worry, wouldn't we have fewer illnesses?

Why do people get sick? Because they worry too much, get tangled up too much, because our hearts are on money and work, we will live very tired and hard, and then get a lot of diseases, and then keep cycling in this vicious circle. Then we feel that what we do is meaningless, and we sigh about life, and then we see the coldness and warmth of life and feel very hard, and then we see our relatives leaving this world and feel very helpless. Our relatives are also very helpless when they see us. What is worth boasting about in the world is labor and sorrow! The doctors we rely on don't seem to be able to do too much.

Therefore, today we must love God alone and trust in Him alone. Do not worship Jesus like worshiping idols, without love. If our relationship with God is a mutually exploitative relationship, there is no love. If there is no love with God, our belief is in vain! Today I tell all our brothers and sisters, even if you are just starting to believe, put loving God and loving the Lord your God with all your heart and strength in your heart! Know how much God loves us!

God's Love is Unconditional

I often pray for those who blaspheme God. When they come to me with illnesses, I pray with them, and God heals them. I say, God! You heal even such people? God says, I love him! My love for him is unconditional! God's love for the world is unconditional! God hopes that those who seek Him, even if they have never done anything for Him, will be healed as long as they turn to Him.

Our God often presses His warm face against our cold backside. Our God will never leave us nor forsake us! How wonderful and beautiful is God's love! If a person has God's love in his life, and then is able to respond to God's love by saying, God, I love you too! How wonderful it is, this beautiful story will be spread throughout heaven and earth!

How to Wholeheartedly Love God

Whatever you do, don't invent it yourself. Self-invention doesn't work well. How to wholeheartedly love God: imitate. Imitate Joshua, Caleb, David, and the Apostle Paul. All these people wholeheartedly loved and followed God. Caleb is a very interesting person. During Joshua's time, when they fought to the land of Canaan, Caleb went to Joshua. What did he say to Joshua?

Now the people of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word that the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be yours and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD said.” Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. (Joshua 14:6-10)

Caleb is a very interesting person. Caleb and Joshua were among the 12 spies sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan, which happened in the second year after they came out of Egypt. After they went, they carried back a lot of fruit. Ten of the spies brought back bad news, saying that there were giants there, and they would be sent to their deaths, and it was impossible to defeat them. As a result, the entire camp wept bitterly. Caleb and Joshua then said to Moses and the Israelites: It's not like that. God has given us the land. We will surely be victorious. Did Caleb really know that he could be victorious? I don't really know, but he trusted in God!

Caleb wholeheartedly followed God, and God said this land would be given to you. He said: Ah, this land will be given to me! It's that simple. As a result, the Israelites were about to stone Caleb and Joshua to death. At that time, God was very angry. At that time, he killed the ten spies in front of Moses and Joshua. At that time, God killed many people with a plague.

God judged the Israelites, saying that all of this generation would die, and only Joshua and Caleb would enter. As a result, it took another 38 years to die in the wilderness. After 38 years, Joshua and Caleb led the Israelites across the Jordan River, conquered cities and territories, and five years passed in a blink of an eye. This 40-year-old became 85 years old, because Caleb wholeheartedly followed God, so God gave him Hebron and his descendants, and he gained the inheritance. Caleb has a characteristic, which is wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedness is a very important quality. A person can't do anything without being wholeheartedly.

Caleb wholeheartedly followed God, so he was not confused by worldly things, nor was he confused by the environment. No environment could shake his determination to enter and gain God's promise. He did not rely on what he saw, but on faith. Today we must rise up to imitate Caleb and wholeheartedly follow God. All those who wholeheartedly follow God and wholeheartedly serve God are not afraid. Even if there are tall Anakim there, he is not afraid. As a result, God really helped him conquer the land.

David, Samuel, and the Apostle Paul were all such people, so loving God wholeheartedly is such a wonderful thing. Caleb did not deal with the Anakim, did not deal with environmental problems, did not complain about anything in the wilderness for 38 years, but wholeheartedly followed God. Whatever God wants to arrange, I will do.

Wholeheartedly means that no environment can shake our goals ahead. Even if we go through fire and water, we must rush through. You can see that such people are amazing people. If you are a person who wholeheartedly loves God, and you imitate Caleb, you will surely receive God's promise, and you will surely become a blessing to many people.

Why are so many people healed when they come among us? Because there is a group of people here who wholeheartedly love God. We have seen through everything and understood everything. Only God is the one we love. Caleb is such a person. We are here to imitate such a person. Even if we wander in the wilderness for 38 years, because that is God's decision, we must follow God closely! Even if we pay the price and suffer grievances, we cannot shake our determination to follow God, and we are determined to become a blessing to our family and friends.

If you are wholeheartedly, you will lack nothing. If you love God, God knows it.

The scripture says:

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

What God has prepared for those who love Him is beyond all we ask or imagine. We must imitate David. David wholeheartedly loved God. Even if his throne was taken away by his son, he didn't care. If it comes from God, if God takes it away, then take it away! I just need to have God! This is the ambition of us who wholeheartedly love God.

I have also experienced a mid-life crisis, but this cannot take away my love for God. Until today, God is still with me, God still makes me strong, God makes me feel that no problem can stop us from achieving God's will in this generation. Are there difficulties? There are difficulties! Are there problems? There are problems! David was chased for 13 years, but he never deviated from God's will and followed God closely!

These people have all come through trials. If you are tested, can you overcome it? If you don't overcome it, it's because you don't wholeheartedly love God. If we wholeheartedly love God, nothing can shake our trust in God, and all things will work together for good to those who love God. Therefore, we must pay attention to the end of those who love God.

As the scripture writes:

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. (Hebrews 13:6-9)

What people often lack is paying attention to the outcome of people, being deceived by worldly things, and being carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Some time ago, the mother-in-law of one of our sisters asked, I said after I die, I have to have money to spend, who will burn paper for me? Ask her what paper to burn, where to burn it? Her mother-in-law is not clear. The confusion of the dead has troubled many people. It is difficult to preach the gospel to her. She is concerned about the issue of burning paper and handling funeral affairs after death.

Living is a very simple thing, and there is nothing after death. There are many strange customs in this world! People think that eating food that has been worshiped to the dead will bless them. This is a very strange idea. What can it bless? At most, it becomes fertilizer. Chinese people often like to rely on food, and even connect death with eating.

Let's not be deceived by these! People are often tossed around because they do not wholeheartedly love god, and do not understand all the benefits in Jesus Christ, do not know that God is everything to us, and do not know that the things we pursue cannot resist disasters. It is fatal to be unclear in understanding. Several sisters have been following me since my first year of service, and they are still very wholeheartedly loving God today, and they lack nothing. In contrast, what have those who drift around gained? All those whose god is their belly are cursed!

A few days ago, I asked a sister to summarize the silly things she had done in the past few years, and she summarized that she was not wholeheartedly. If people are not wholeheartedly, they are easily trapped by worldly things, and they are trapped for many years. When others grabbed a house, she also grabbed one, and as a result, she was trapped. People must think carefully. After thinking clearly, they will be very clear in their understanding whether we have the determination to wholeheartedly love God. If we have such determination, will we be deceived by these things? Will we be confused by these things? No, because our goals inside are very clear: we wholeheartedly love God!

Summary

Let's make a summary. Let's read Psalm 91 again:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

How blessed are such people!

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Do you trust Him today? Start learning to rely on Him!

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

If you have ever experienced the fowler's snare and the deadly pestilence, today this is what he is telling you.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

These are all the most hated things in life. Plagues and deadly diseases, aren't many people dying from these?

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he acknowledges my name, I will protect him.

What a wonderful promise!

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91)

Who is this referring to? Refers to those who serve God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength! Are we willing today to serve God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and wholeheartedly follow Him? Like Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, and the Apostle Paul? Samuel wholeheartedly followed God, so God made none of his words fail. What does it mean? Some words were spoken by Samuel himself. He was not a puppet. He was God's good friend! So God fulfilled what he said. He declared it, and it was fulfilled!

What a wonderful thing! The Apostle Paul was also like this! He experienced all kinds of hardships, big and small, but never changed his love for God!

Today Paul tells us the most excellent way in 1 Corinthians 13: Without love, nothing is! Without love for God, nothing is! May all the promises in Psalm 91 be fulfilled in you today!

May God bless everyone!