Love God – Word for the Soul

Jesus was asked by one of the teachers of the religious law what is the most important commandment? Without hesitation Jesus responded, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mk.12:29-31 nlt) What prompted the teacher’s question is not clear, but he was rather impressed listening to Jesus’ answer to the questioning Sadducees. (Mk.12:18-27) He may have been curious to see if he had it right, for Jewish teachers of the Law were about getting it right. His motives may have been self-centered or just another case of trying to discredit Jesus.

The teacher found himself agreeing with Jesus. He knew the Old Testament scripture Jesus quoted and that to love God is more important than any sacrifice to Him. Jesus complimented the teacher by acknowledging he knew the Scripture, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God,’ (Mk.12:34) but also noted he was not yet in the kingdom. The teacher needed to put down his scrolls and simply love the Lord God with all his heart and all his soul, the only way to the kingdom.

What does this have to do with us in 2025? Everything! We can all go through the motions of church activity by attending services, giving, volunteering, etc. which is our way of sacrificing today. However, what is our motive in these activities. Are we doing them out of our love for God? Do these activities show our love for God or show our desire to be noticed? Jesus said the most important commandment is to love the Lord God with all our heart and all our soul. Do we love the Lord God with all our heart? Let’s do that first, then participate in our church activities.

Devotionals

The Great Commandment

June 17, 2024June 13, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 ESV

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18 ESV

Throughout Holy Scripture there are many commandments put before us to be obeyed and followed. Contrary to the belief of some, there are more than ten. They are spread out in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God, in His Word, has given us detailed instructions on how we should live. He has also given us detailed information about His Son, Jesus, in the both the Old and New Testaments, detailed enough that there should be no question as to who Jesus is. He is the Savoir of each one who puts their trust in Him for Salvation.

Of all the commandments in the Bible, there is only one that is the greatest, The Great Commandment. Jesus, when asked by a clever lawyer of the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment in the Law, quoted from the Old Testament, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Mt.22:37-38 esv) Notice it was not only the “Great” but the “First” commandment. Jesus didn’t stop there but went on to quote more scripture, this time from the Old Testament book of Leviticus. “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt.22:39 esv) Jesus wraps up His answer by saying, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt.22:40 esv)

The question we all need to honestly ask ourselves is this; do I love the Lord God with all my heart and soul? Being totally honest may hurt as we discover the word “all” means “all.” There should be nothing in our lives that would turn the “all” in our love for God into “most of time, or less.” As we struggle with that question towards God, we will also find ourselves struggling with that question towards our neighbor.

The greatest commandment God has given us is to love Him with all our being and left to ourselves that is impossible to accomplish. But those of us who accepted Christ as Savior have the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for His help in loving the Lord God with all our heart and with all our soul and our neighbor as ourselves, for this is the great commandment.

Devotionals

Our Call to Love and Obedience

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 Loring Schultz

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT

Some Christians today struggle with God’s call on their life and understandably so. I’ve been there along with many others of our generation and those of generations past. We’re conflicted by what may or not be a sign from God in a certain direction. We put out feelers to those we trust confiding in them our struggle. Afraid of missing God’s calling or being unable to fulfill all He has for us; we drift along anticipating that bolt of lightning to strike us making clear His will for us. Sometimes it happens that way but don’t waste precious time waiting for lightning to strike.

Just prior to the children of Israel entering the promised land God gave His requirements (His will) for them. His will for them was to fear Him, live for Him, love Him, and serve Him with all their heart and soul, and of course to always obey the Lord’s commands. Israel was at the starting gate and their call was to love God and obey Him. This was foundational for their own good and even survival. Love and obedience were the springboard in seeking God’s will going forward.

A good place for us to start in seeking God’s will is to put ourselves in the starting gate with the children of Israel. What does the Lord require of us in 2024? Very simple, the same requirements He had for His chosen people Israel He has for His chosen people in Christ, our call to love and obedience. If we start there, with the basics, we will be in God’s will. Over time as we grow spiritually the Lord will reveal His plans for us going forward and they will be as clear as a bright sunny day with not a cloud in the sky.

Read: Deuteronomy 10:12-22 NLT – A Call to Love and Obedience – “And – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Love Covers Them All

February 26, 2024February 22, 2024 Loring Schultz

“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40 ESV

You may have heard of the ‘Great Commandment.’ You may even be able to quote it. But is it one commandment or two commandments? Jesus, in concluding His answer to the question ‘which is the great commandment in the Law,’ said “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:40 ESV) Sounds like it is two, but they have a common denominator, ‘love.’

A lawyer of the Pharisees, who was an expert in Mosaic Law, asked Jesus a question as so many others to trap Him in His words. The lawyer asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Mt. 22:36 ESV) The Old Testament Law had the Ten Commandments included in the five books of the Law known as the Torah which also contained additional laws given to Moses for God’s people Israel. At the time Jesus was on the earth in the first century, there were additional laws added to the total of 613 put in place by Rabbis and scholars over the years. Even though most of those were man-made traditions for the Jewish rulers to maintain their positions, Jesus narrowed them all down to two.

In answering the lawyer’s question Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt. 22:37-39 ESV) Jesus carefully put the two-part commandment in divine order. The great and ‘first’ commandment is to love God with all your heart, signifying your whole self, body, soul, and mind. Then likewise, you are to love your neighbor as yourself, not advocating self-love, but in concert with the ‘golden rule’ to love others as you would want them to love you.

Our moral duty as human beings on the earth are to love God and to love our neighbor. Jesus makes is so simple for us to understand and so easy to do if we only take the effort to do so. No need to obey 613 commandments. Two simple commands; love God, love your neighbor. If we truly love God, we will be obedient to all moral conduct. Loving our neighbor, even those who block your driveway, will come naturally as God loves them. This two-part great command is all that is needed, for if obeyed all other laws and commands will be follow suit for ‘Love Covers Them All!’

Read: Matthew 22:34-40 ESV – The Great Commandment – But when the – Bible Gateway