John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Do you get it? This is the most plain spoken and meaningful the Lord could get. If you love me, love those that I love. I know that there are teachings out there that focus on the feeding of the sheep and what that means but the essence of the message is love Jesus by loving His people.

There are many reasons we do what we do. We are asked. We are shamed. We are ordered. We are convinced. We are hounded. We are bribed. We are paid. We are threatened.

Do you do what you do because you love the Lord?

I confessed to an elder once that I just didn’t feel like praying. His answer? Then don’t. He was wise enough to know that feelings are fleeting and that my attitude would change because love would get around to fixing what was troubling me. Forgiveness, mercy and grace are extensions of God’s love towards us and in us.

1 Corinthians 13:8  (NASB) Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962,
1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation 

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

We say a blessing before each meal. Why? We say “bless you” or “God bless” when a person sneezes. Why? “Well bless your little ol’ heart.” What does that mean? There are many ways we use the word bless and blessing to express intended good will and even sarcasm. Do any of those expressions bless the Lord?

I dare say when we take communion we think about the sacrifice the Lord made for us, the body given and the blood shed for us. Do we think about the blessing Jesus bestowed on the bread before giving us the bread of life?

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Just as God blessed His creation, Jesus blesses His followers by yielding to their needs. He did so without being asked.

Bless the Lord has to be in yielding to His needs and those needs He expressed where the same as the Father in creation, to love and be loved. Jesus is gathering to Himself a bride to love and that loves Him. Our part to bless the Lord is to meet His need.

Preach the gospel, make disciples and love one another.

Our ability to do that is because Jesus blessed the bread and we took and ate of the bread by faith.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.