For every action, there is an equal reaction. What about love? Does that still hold true? For every act of love, there is an equal response of love?
Love comes from God; He is the God of love. His love is powerful, and always prompts a response from us. We love Him in return.
Verses 41 to 48 of Psalm 119 focus on this action and reaction of love. Verse 41 begins with a plea for God to begin by giving His love,
May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word;
Because of God’s love and His salvation that comes to us – freely from Him – we then respond in love. Notice what is said in verses 47 and 48:
I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.
And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.
Our love for God is shown in our love for His commands, His statutes, His Word. We show our love for His Word in our actions. You could say that every time we obey God, we are saying to Him, “I love you.”
God’s love is transforming, and I’ve been seeing this happen in my own life. Only recently have I set aside some hobbies I’ve had for a long time. I’ve loved to play computer games. I’ve loved to keep up with sports, and especially the Los Angeles Dodgers. While these hobbies aren’t harmful, they’re not very helpful. The more I saw in God’s Word how much God was loving me, the more I wanted to set aside these hobbies so that I had more time, energy, and focus on loving Him. And as my love for Him increased, I found He gave me more love for others.
God’s love transforms you to love Him. As you love and obey Him more, He gives you more of His love, which will spill out of you in love to others.