"The Way You Should Love"

Scripture: "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." -Deuteronomy 6:5

About a couple of weekends ago, two sisters from our church had a conversation. Throughout this conversation, the older sister was sharing her story with the younger sister about how God allowed her to make it through hard trials and tribulations and eventually, how God brought her husband into her life, and how they share a passionate love between one another. The younger sister pointed out to the elder sister how beautiful it is to see a couple love one another like the elder sister and her husband does. She goes on to say, "Now this is the example of love I wanted to see between two powerful people of God". One thing the elder sister told the younger sister is that God is in the forefront of the decisions made and because each of them reverences God, it makes the marriage and loving one another worthwhile and easy. Through the example of this couple, you recognize that this is the way you should love if you are married. If we think about this thing spiritually, how are we to love our Heavenly Father? How are we to reverence Him? Today's text provides insight on the way you should love your Father.

Our devotional journey today shifts us to the book of Deuteronomy. This book is the final book of the Law Books of the Old Testament. These books have been attributed to Moses as their author. Within this book, we find God re - iterating His laws to the Israelites once again. If you were to look up the definition of Deuteronomy, you would find out that it means "second law". Sometimes, God has to repeat things to you and I in order for that thing to seep down into our spirits. Sometimes, God has to send two people to make the same point in order for you to receive what He is saying. In any case, today's main scripture comes at a time where Moses is showing the Israelites and us the way we should love.

This point of the way we should love our God is emphasized when Moses said, "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God". Then, Moses gives specifics. First, Moses stated that we should love our Lord thy God with "all thine heart". Many of us have placed our hearts into many a person and because they are human and flesh, they have broken them. When you love God, He does not want you to love with 20% of your heart, not 50% of your heart, but with ALL of your heart.

Secondly, Moses told the people and us to love God with "all thy soul". In those days and even today, we find ourselves loving with all of our souls things that will soon fade away. We love with all our souls our homes, our children, our cars, our church buildings, our rings, our watches, our suits, our shoes, and the list goes on and on. However, loving those things with your soul is NOT the way you should love God. He wants you to love Him with all of your soul! If we think about it for one second, don't we own Him that kind of love?

Lastly, Moses told the Israelites and us that we ought to love God with "all thy might". Again, we have exerted so much energy into loving things like the things mentioned in the last paragraph. Heck, some of us put so much energy into everything else but God! However, God is calling you and I to love Him with all of our might! The way we love our spouses, we ought to love God 100 times harder! The way we love our children, we ought to love God that much more harder! The way we love our bank accounts, we ought to love God 200 times harder! The way we any person, place, or thing, we ought to love God HARDER and STRONGER than any of those things!

In closing, it's a beautiful thing to love and be loved. It's a beautiful thing to see great examples of love within your family, friends, and church. Ultimately, God wants to be loved much, much, much more than the love you share with family, friends, and things. I find instruction in the way we should love God from Moses. Let's continue to strive to give God the kind of love He deserves!