"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."
Mark 12:29-30
Part 5
Yesterday: Loving Him with My Soul and Mind
“Love the Lord thy God,”
“With all thy soul.”
We owe our Creator our very lives, and we give them to Him for we love Him.
“Love the Lord thy God,”
“With all thy mind.”
We use our minds for Him. We love Him with our minds.
Today: How to Love Him with Our Strength.
“Love the Lord thy God,”
“With all thy strength.”
All of our energy is for Him!
“This commands our energies: Thou shalt put intensity into thine affection – ‘Do it with thy might’…” (JFB).
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
During a day, where do you put the bulk of your energies? Making a living, caring for the family, church needs, hobbies? These are not bad in and of themselves. Some of these are duties that help us get through life. But how much time and energy do you put into loving God each day? This is so much more than checking off our Bible reading for our devotions. This is using our energy throughout the day to love God by “doing” for Him.
When making a living, if I keep God in the first place, I honor Him by trusting Him to “give us this daily bread.”
If God is the first place when I’m taking care of my family, I’m using that energy for His glory.
If I serve God at church, not for man’s applause, or self-gratification, by putting Him first, I am using my energy for Him.
Suppose I can keep my hobbies in balance, time, money, and importance. In that case, I can glorify God by using my energies in a way that proclaims to my family and others His importance in my life.
We love God with our strength when we use our energy as He gives the orders!
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
“This is the first commandment.”
No doubt Adam and Eve learned this from the Creator Himself as they walked together in the Garden in the cool of the day. Indeed, it is the first, the oldest commandment. It is also the “first commandment” as it is the greatest commandment, the one deserving of first place in our lives and thinking.
“It is the first commandment in regard to priority. Every other act of obedience is empty if we do not love God first”[1] (Guzik).
For God’s child who keeps this commandment in its rightful place, what can be the expected outcome of loving God first? Paul answers that.
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5).
1. Our relationship with God is right – “love out of a pure heart.”
2. Our relationship with our neighbor is right – “a good conscience.”
3. Our relationship with our own heart is right – we have an “unfeigned, unfaked faith.”
Believers, where does God need to be in all our affections?
Quote: “In Exodus 20:3, Moses wrote, ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ This first documented commandment tells us to keep God in His rightful place—first place. This principle lays the necessary groundwork for the rest of the believer’s life. Miss this one, and nothing else in the believer’s life makes sense!”[2]
PS: Note what Jesus said to the Scribe at the end of their conversation.
“And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question” (Mark 12:34).
It very well could be that we will get to meet this Scribe in heaven one day.
[1] Guzik, David. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Mark 12:28-34.
[2] The statement is from jlh’s notes.