“Love The Lord Your God

With All Your Heart And

With All Your Soul

And With All Your Mind

And With All Your Strength”

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘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 mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

March 12:28-34

Jesus added the word mind. This changes things to mean we should love God with everything we have and everything you are. Everything about God is to be loved.

As we learn to love God with everything, we begin to see our difficulties. If we look at the school of prayer, where one loves God with the entire soul, doubts and struggles do not disappear, but their effect on us diminishes.

The most important treasured gift we can give to God

is one that He can never force us to give – our love.

Our Daily Bread – February 4, 2014