Love the LORD

Read Deuteronomy 4:44-5:5, 5:22-8
 
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
 
SEVEN times in Deuteronomy, Moses writes, “Love the Lord your God.” The Shema (sha ma’) as this is called has been foundational to faithful Jews through the years. It means, as the first word says, “Listen” or “Hear”. This is an alert to know that the next words are God’s way to say, “Hear and know in your heart each word I speak to you! Your life depends on it.”
   First they will hear, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This is essential to a nation surrounded by a pagan culture worshiping many “gods” of each element of nature. To know that one LORD God Almighty rules the heavens and earth points Israel to keep their minds focused on El Shaddai. To fully believe God, they must know HE IS has no competition for goodness, truth and justice.
   Listening to God, Israel will come to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. God’s great commandment is his greatest purpose for life. Love is the key to a deep, abiding and trusting faith in God.
   In love with God will cause a strong, singular desire to commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands. In love, you begin to become as God commands. Someone once wrote that in God’s kingdom, “We are not human beings but human becomings.” In faithful obedience we must know our lives will become more and more as God commands. As a parent, grandparent, adult, teacher, friend and disciple, you love God’s Word so much you repeat them again and again to your children. You talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. God’s Word marks your life.
   Yes, Deuteronomy strongly emphasizes our children need God’s teaching and influence. How else will they know and trust I AM? In what other manner will the Word continue from generation to generation? Be constant to spiritually and physically tie God’s Word to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
   Listen, Church. Your love for God must pour forth from your heart to the next generation. How joyful it is to know, “Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God)  
 
John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  (Jesus said that.)