Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:5
One of the most memorized verses in the Bible is this from Deuteronomy. Moses shared it with the Israelites before they took possession of the Promised Land. Jesus quoted it again in Matthew 22:37, and followed up in verse 38, “This is the first and greatest commandment.”
According to Henry Blackaby in his book and study Experiencing God, “A love relationship with God is the more important than any other single factor in your life.” It may be easy to say this is true for us, but is it? When the Lord examines our hearts, will He find this devotion to Him?
“The first and greatest commandment.” That is a hefty call. It requires a God-centered approach to every decision we make rather than a self-centered one. How we spend our time, resources, and talents—because they all belong to the Lord. We are but clay in the Potter’s hands.
We make plans and pray God blesses them. We jump into ministry without seeking His wisdom first. Because we’re doing it for the Lord, it must be good, right? We are a culture of doers. Many of us are busy serving in the Lord’s name, and yet, we don’t spend quality, uninterrupted time in His presence. Do we seek Him first or rush ahead on our own?
A visual given in Experiencing God is of a tall ladder leaning against a wall. The author continues, “Now think about your life as a process of climbing that ladder. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to ascend to the top and find you had placed the ladder against the wrong wall? One life to live, and you missed it!”
We cannot discern the will of God if we cannot hear Him. We cannot hear Him if we don’t have a deep, personal, abiding relationship with Him. It doesn’t happen in brief moments of prayer throughout the week or sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings. No relationship worth having grows with stolen time and quick connections. It must be a priority. Relationship with the Lord should be the highest priority. More important than any earthly relationship we might have including our spouse and children. More important than a sporting event or vacation plans.
Jesus isn’t a piece of the pie of life—He is the whole pie.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you”—Matthew 6:33.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask that You draw us close. Give us a deep desire to know You better, to love You deeper, and to seek Your face above all else. May we be children who value Your mighty name above all else.
