4th Quarter: Present Truth in Deuteronomy.
Lesson 4: To Love the Lord Your God
Sunday: To Love God
Text: [[Deu 6:5]] BSB
_And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength._
Message
If we look back at the nation Israel, one thing that is clearly seen in their relationship with God is the numerous set of laws given them to obey. So it makes it difficult to accept the reality that their salvation was based on Grace. The question that comes up is, if it was Grace, why did they need so many laws? Israel understood well their responsibility towards God within the covenant. While love is the nature of God, men had to learn and commit to love. It required a conscious effort. In the _shema,_- an important prayer of Israel, they reminded themselves that God is One, and he alone deserved their allegiance.(Deut 6:4).
God had graciously given them the promised blessings, but to keep these blessings was their responsibility. That’s why God gave them laws that will help them maintain the blessings and live long on the land (6:1-3). In other words, the laws were hedges to protect Israel. This is how Deuteronomy 6 begins. God tells them what to do so they don’t mess up the gift they’ve been given. At the heart of the secrets to success on the land, they’re to “Love the Lord your God”. This is true today as when it was first spoken. Do you seek success and progress in every aspect of your life? Then love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength.
_Loving God with all the heart and soul and strength means that our love for Him should be supreme over our love for everything and everyone else, because He is the foundation and ground of all our being and existence and everything else. Love for Him should put our love for everything else in proper perspective._ Basically, it means be ready to choose God above everything – job, school, relationship, etc. This call, while it was for the nation, is directed to every individual. Make a personal decision to love God wholeheartedly, and see the outcome.
Reflection
Do you Love God? How is this absolute love expressed? In other words, What does it mean to you to love God with all your heart and soul and might?