Some people open their hearts to Jesus Christ and begin a new Christian life with little or no emotional high. Others are born again and the heavens open. I was the latter. The Bible exploded as a living Book. I saw Jesus in the sunsets and cloud formations. Felt Him in the wind. Stood awestruck on starry nights. Knew I heard Him say "I love you!" in the flash of lightning and boom of thunder.

I thought I could pray forever. And cry tears of adoration forever as I told Jesus "I love You! I love you!" a thousand times over. But one day I awoke to panic. I didn't feel love for God. In fact, I didn't feel like God was even around. And my emotional high-my feeling of love for God-fell from the skies and sank to the bottom of the sea.

Maybe you are there right now. Or perhaps you soon will experience a time when you just don't feel love for God. Then what? Will you believe the lie of the evil one that God has abandoned you or just doesn't care? Or will you recognize that your all-wise Heavenly Father wants to mature you and take you to a new spiritual level?

"What is love?", you ask. Well, God is love (1 John 4:16) and He lives in you if you have asked His Son to forgive and save you. "But how can I know I love God when I don't feel it?" Love is more than an emotion triggered by your intellect. Love is an act of the will-yes, an action in response to Jesus' call for obedience.

John 14:21 revolutionized my life on how I am to measure my love for Christ. It puts "feelings" where they belong-as the last car on the train and not the engine. Let's break it down so we can see how Jesus measures our love for Him. "He that has my commandments (My words) and keeps them (guards and obeys them), he it is that loves Me..." Stop! Did you get that? I heard the Lord saying, "You trusted Me to save you. Now trust Me to lead you. Here's how to know you love Me: study My Word-the Bible-the Scriptures-all of it. Ask the Holy Spirit for the power to obey My commands. Your obedience proves your love for Me-not feelings that come and go."

Now the door was opened for the rest of the verse to come true: "...he that loves Me (Jesus) shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will make Myself known to him." So now you and I look to Him in confidence. We study and obey the Scriptures. We ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control us. Much of the time "we walk by faith, not by sight" with no great emotional highs. Other times, as we worship Him through praise music that exalts God, tears may flow freely and we will experience the emotional wonder of His presence.

Either way, He is always with you-in you-for you. So just now, look up and say, "I love you, Lord Jesus. And by Your grace I shall love You moment by moment through obedience to all You command."