Loving God
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6
These words stand right at the heart of the Jewish faith. In Jewish worship, they are repeated in both morning and evening prayers. They are a continual reminder of the fundamental truth that there is only one God, and he deserves total devotion. These words are known as the Shema and the people of Israel were commanded to keep repeating them to their children. They were so fundamental that Moses told them to: “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” (Deuteronomy 6:7). They were also told to write the words on tiny fragments of paper and put them in leather pouches called phylacteries, which were tied around their hands and foreheads. The words were also placed on the doorposts of their homes. They did everything possible to ensure these words were not forgotten.
Repetition is often a characteristic of a loving relationship. I regularly tell my wife and children that I love them. I don’t do this because I think that they are unsure of my love, but because love is such a fundamental part of the life we share together. The same is true when we worship God. Most of what we pray and sing about is very similar to what we expressed the last time we worshipped! However, we need continually to repeat the truths that form the foundation of our lives. Amid all the rush and busyness of life, they are words which pull us back to the fundamentals of our faith in God.
QUESTION
To what extent could you claim to be loving God with all your heart, soul and strength?
PRAYER
Loving God, help me to put you at the centre of my life. Amen