A 30 - DAY GUIDE FOR NEW BELIEVERSby JOHN D . BECKETTDAY 6 LOVING GODHow do I respond to God ? From the moment we begin to grasp just how much God loves us , a deep desire wells up within us to love Him in return . Suppose as you were walking in a dense forest , you strayed off the path and lost your way . Night falls and it becomes dark and cold . You have no food or water . Danger lurks from forest animals . You frantically stumble ahead in the darkness , with no sense of direction . Fear gnaws at you : " I may never make it back to safety . " Just as all hope is fading , your frantic eyes see a dim light in the distance . Suddenly you realize , " Someone is searching for me ! " The light grows brighter . It ' s coming your way . You call out , " Here I am ! " The reply comes back : " Keep calling ! " Moments later your rescuer appears in the unmistakable uniform of a forest ranger -- one who knows the deep woods and the way home . By the dim light , you study his kind and fatherly face . Steadily he leads you back . As the ranger delivers you to your doorstep , he says , " You ' re safe now . " In sheer relief you respond in the only way you can -- with profound gratitude . " How can I ever repay you ? " you ask , knowing no payment could ever suffice . In the very same way our heavenly Father has rescued us . Our condition was more desperate than we could ever know . We couldn ' t make it on our own . We were groping frantically in complete darkness when He came and personally guided us home . He redeemed us from deadly peril . Perhaps the Apostle John had such a sense of gratitude when he declared , " We love Him because He first loved us " ( 1 John 4 : 19 ) . It would not be unusual for you to be harboring distorted images of what your heavenly Father is like . I ' ve had many false images myself -- at different times a " higher power " or a stern judge to be feared . But once I saw His unconditional love for me , a love unaffected by who I was and all I had done , my heart was able to say , " Father , I love you . " Amazingly , God not only loves us -- He actually created us so we can love Him in return . How deeply should we love God ? Jesus , who knew the Father intimately , said , " Love the Lord your God with all your heart , with all your soul , with all your mind , and with all your strength " ( Mark 12 : 30 ) . All our faculties come into play . " All " leaves nothing out . Loving the Father to that degree continues to stretch me , for it means giving all that I am to the one who gave His all for me . My heart swells -- and I believe so does God ' s -- when I spontaneously lavish my love upon Him , expressing my affection and gratitude to Him . Key ScriptureAt that time you were without Christ . .. having no hope and without God in the world . But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ ( Ephesians 2 : 12 , 13 ) . Key ThoughtI will let these words come easily and often : " Lord , I love You . " Questions or Comments about this study ? Click " reply " if you received this by email and let us know your thoughts .