You Shall Love the Lord Your God

From the beginning, the enemy of our soul, the devil, questioned why we should trust God? He began by questioning our first mother, Eve, and then, proceeded by advocating that she should fully mistrust God.

When Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, He demonstrated in many ways that God is 100% trustworthy. His miracles involved helping people who could not repay Him – such as blind beggars, lepers, and paralyzed people. The Holy Spirit anointed Him for this ministry.

This morning, I want to advocate for loving God. Think about it! What an adventure! To love the God who created and sustains all things! And to know that He values and accepts your love and mine. Though He is Almighty, He embraces our love for Him.

In my adventure this morning to love the Lord, my first stop was the verse in the Bible where Jesus tells a lawyer of the Pharisees what the great commandment of the Law is. I was surprised when I saw the context in which a human being, even a religious leader at that time, was asking this question. He was one of many that day trying to entangle Jesus in His talk. The three prominent religious groups of that day, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians, were working together to get a soundbite from Jesus that they could use against Him. [1] It is in this context, that Jesus declares that loving God is the great commandment.

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” [2]

So, we see there is a battle for our affections. The enemy hurls questions and accusations (sometimes even via elite religious leaders) at us to change the trajectory of our heart. Jesus says to us, “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.” Keep loving God always.

King David had many challenges throughout his life. His own father-in-law tried to kill him multiple times. After David became king, his own son turned many in the country against him and a civil war ensued. To his great sorrow, his son, Absalom, was killed. He continued as king but lost a son that he loved. What did David resolve to do?

He wrote, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.” [3]

“Dear Heavenly Father, we love You. Thank You that You loved us long before we ever started loving You but thank You as well for bringing us to this place where we realize that You value and appreciate our love for You. We love You. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.”

[1] Refer to Matthew 22:15-16, 23, 35
[2] Matthew 22:37-38
[3] Psalm 18:1