“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.’
{Mark 12:29, 30} (NIV)
The Pharisees tried to catch Jesus in His answer to their trick question and the Sadducees thought that they would stump Him with their question, but what they got was wisdom straight from God! When a teacher of the Law observed these exchanges, he asked the Lord a question, not out of malice but a sincere question about the main point of the Law, seeking to gauge the level of understanding Jesus had about the Law. The teacher praised Jesus for His answer, and when Jesus responded to that praise, the teacher realized that it was himself that was being tested, not the Lord.
The nature of the Lord’s answer proves that James was correct in saying that Scripture taught that God longs jealously for our spirit (James 4). Actually Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6, in which Moses reminds the people that God is a jealous God. It can’t be any clearer; God wants ALL our love! He wants us to love Him with ALL our heart, with ALL our soul, with ALL our mind, and with ALL our strength. God is not willing to share any of our love with another! He wants it all.
Friend, where are we in this matter today? Honestly now, do we love Him with everything we have and everything we are, or are we holding something back? He loves us with everything He has and everything He is. He is the Great Lover of our soul. It is amazing to me that He would care about me, and that He would care about my love. May we love Him with everything we have this day!
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