“For he loves Thee too little who loves anything together with thee, which he loves not for thy sake. O love that ever burnest and art never quenched! O Charity, my God, enkindle me!” -St. Augustine

This line from Augustine reveals a simple yet profound reality regarding our love for God. The Lord remains, from before time began, the greatest and most glorious being. He sits enthroned above all earthly powers and demands worship from his creatures. He requires love. In fact, when our love goes to another, Jeremiah describes it as seeking for water in broken cisterns, rather than diving into the fountain of living water that gushes forth divine satisfaction. The only appropriate reaction to this evil is shock and awe.

With incredible boldness, Augustine declares that if you love anything equal with God, you love God too little. Your affections for Him are weak and half-hearted if you put the infinitely lovely God on equal level with His creation. God has placed a gap between Himself and man. When we seek to close that gap or eliminate it all together, we sin against the holy God by not giving Him the proper glory and recognition.

Well, Augustine not only presents the problem, but he gives us a prayer that should be upon our hearts everyday. We must pray for God to ignite love for His name inside of us, because we are incapable of such passionate affection apart from the Spirit. Pray that the Lord would set the truth of Scripture aflame within your heart, otherwise described as logic on fire. History is filled with examples of God answering this request within men and women.

God demands your love. Does your love for Him ever burn; Is it never quenched? Pray that He would enkindle that kind of affection within your heart.