LOVE THE LORD

January 18, 2022

Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “This is the most important:G4413 ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. LoveG25 the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘LoveG25 your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31

The Greek word for “most important” is prōtosG4413 meaning “foremost (in time, place, order or importance):—before, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). The commandment to “Love the Lord your God” is the prototype from which all other commands develop. We are to love God with all our emotional, mental, and physical abilities. Our love for God cannot be simply a mental assent or the “Love you, bye!” we tag onto the end of a phone call with a family member. This love is a complete outpouring emanating from the deepest part of us. Our love is not only heartfelt but results in action. In John 15:10, we learn that our love for the Lord and desire to remain in His love, leads us to obeying God’s commands. We demonstrate our love for God when we pour all our strength—our physical, mental, and moral abilities—into obeying what He has shown us in His word, the Bible. Our following what is taught in scripture is out of intrinsic devotion to our Father God rather than obligatory obedience. Our obedience derives from the refuge of our redemptive relationship with the Father whose love for us is perfect and cannot be matched by any earthly love.

Worship is one way we express our love to God. Google™ Babbie Mason’s “With All My Heart” and worship the Lord in song along with her. Do not stop with loving Him through song and prayer. Go forth from the time of loving worship to be His hands, feet, and voice demonstrating His love to others. In so doing, you are also confirming your love for the Lord by doing His will. More on that tomorrow!

Father, we love You. May we remember to tell You we love You every day. Let our obedience to Your commands truly be an expression of our love and gratitude to You because You first loved us (1 John 4:19).