Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 6:4-7.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and gave them laws to live by, which we know as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). These were necessary because they had not lived together as a self-governing people for 400 years and He knew they needed guidance. These rules showed them how to live in peace, honoring God and respecting each other.
Approximately 1500 years later Jesus was asked “what is the greatest commandment?” and He replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). He also said loving our neighbor as ourselves was essential, again teaching that honoring God and respecting each other was the most important thing.
Fast forward 2000 years and we are still struggling to learn the lesson about loving God and one another. If we just get this right, the world could be what He intends for us. Living in harmony with Him and our brothers and sisters is the ultimate goal, and we pray that His kingdom may come on earth.
Loving Lord, in Your wisdom You gave us instructions for living together. Forgive us for our disobedience and our treatment of each other. Bless us to be the people You created from love, that we may love You and one another. Amen.
