Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. Deuteronomy 6:5,6 (KJV)
With whom or what am I passionate about, obsessed with, or excited about today? Who or what has my undivided attention? In whom or what does my allegiance lie? Who or what has predominance, priority, and prominence in my heart and mind? God’s intent, desire, and longing is that I be completely, extremely, and enthusiastically consumed with Him and by Him. To not only seek Him diligently and obey Him completely but to love Him with all that I have in me!
It starts with an acknowledgement of Him. He is God! Creator of Heaven and Earth. He lays claim to all He created and has the power to sustain that creation. He loves me with His whole heart and soul and invites me to do the same in regards to Him. He is holy, righteous, and just. He alone is worthy of my worship, adoration, and praise!
All means all! Not partial, not divided, not lukewarm, not somewhat, not halfway…ALL. Loving Him with every part of my will, mind, emotions, spirit, soul, strength, thoughts, motives, and intentions. He is not only deserving of it but desirous of it as well.
I must do more than give mental assent and a nod of agreement to what He says. I must allow His Word to get into my heart. For that is from where my words, actions, and worship stem. To take what He says to me in Scripture and own it, digest it, and embrace it for the treasure of truth that it is. For it to become a part of my inner being.
This is what it means to live in relationship with God on a daily basis. But the key is to realize I cannot manufacture this on my own. If left to myself, I fail miserably. But because His Spirit lives in me I have the capability to flesh out the call of Deuteronomy 6. The ability to fall head or heals in love with God comes from Him! He will faithfully give me the desire, hunger, and longing for Himself. As it comes, I simply respond. Until I grasped this aspect of myself and God, I felt hopeless and helpless to live the Christian life outside of a mediocre and mundane mentality. When God opened my eyes to this truth my life in Him was revolutionized!
Father, You not only bid me to love You entirely, but You give me the desire and ability to do it. Love Yourself through me today. Amen.
