Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates—Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. He is to have the preeminence in our lives. Love for Him (not legalism or concern for outward appearances) is to be the underlying motive for all we do and say here on this earth.
How does that happen practically? It happens when we make God’s word to us part of our daily life...when we think on it, teach it and discuss it with those around us as we go about our day. It happens when we purposely allow His word to penetrate and take root in our heart. James tells us to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our soul. Meekness means without argument. Surrender to it...meditate on it...pray it through...memorize it and most of all...do it!
Beloved...God wants our obedience to be from our hearts. He wants us to obey His word with understanding. He wants us to obey Him because we KNOW His way is right and best because we KNOW His will for us comes from His heart of love. Thinking on the word and saturating our hearts with it transforms us from the inside out. It makes God’s desires our desires. We amazingly no longer want what we want...we want what HE wants.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.—Romans 12:2
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure”—Philippians 2:13
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”—Joshua 1:8
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.—Psalm 19:7–9
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.—2 Timothy 3:16, 17
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