The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Joshua 23:11,
"So be very careful to love the Lord your God"
At the end of Joshua's life he called together the leaders of Israel and reminded them of all the Lord had done for Israel in fulfilling his promise of bringing them into the Promised Land. He also warned them against turning away from the Lord and exhorted them to love the Lord.
We, as believers today, have also been exhorted to love the Lord. When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40.
What does it mean to love the Lord? Here are some thoughts about love generally speaking:
"Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust. Love can vary in intensity and can change over time. It is associated with a range of positive emotions, including happiness, excitement, life satisfaction, and euphoria..." from "verywell mind.com", https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-love-2795343.
"strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests; warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion; inspired by affection; to like or desire actively : take pleasure in; to feel affection or experience desire" Merriam-Webster dictionary.
I like this perspective from a Jewish website, "Chabad.org", https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1577531/jewish/What-Is-Love.htm:
"G‑d commands us (Deut. 6:5), 'And you shall love the L‑rd your G‑d.' This precept leads us to voice the age-old question, 'How can we be commanded to feel a feeling?' Either you feel it or you don't, right? An answer offered by our tradition explains that we are not being ordered to feel a feeling in the abstract sense. Rather, the command is for us to behave lovingly. In this light, 'And you shall love,' actually means, 'You shall perform acts of love.' This is the true test: action, deeds, performance. Feelings can be deceptive. Sometimes, what we perceive as love may in fact be another emotion. But actions cannot be mistaken. So, rather than ask, 'What is love?' we must ask, 'Do I perform acts of love for my beloved?' and 'Does my beloved perform acts of love for me?'"
"So be very careful to love the Lord your God"
At the end of Joshua's life he called together the leaders of Israel and reminded them of all the Lord had done for Israel in fulfilling his promise of bringing them into the Promised Land. He also warned them against turning away from the Lord and exhorted them to love the Lord.
We, as believers today, have also been exhorted to love the Lord. When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40.
What does it mean to love the Lord? Here are some thoughts about love generally speaking:
"Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust. Love can vary in intensity and can change over time. It is associated with a range of positive emotions, including happiness, excitement, life satisfaction, and euphoria..." from "verywell mind.com", https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-love-2795343.
"strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests; warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion; inspired by affection; to like or desire actively : take pleasure in; to feel affection or experience desire" Merriam-Webster dictionary.
I like this perspective from a Jewish website, "Chabad.org", https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1577531/jewish/What-Is-Love.htm:
"G‑d commands us (Deut. 6:5), 'And you shall love the L‑rd your G‑d.' This precept leads us to voice the age-old question, 'How can we be commanded to feel a feeling?' Either you feel it or you don't, right? An answer offered by our tradition explains that we are not being ordered to feel a feeling in the abstract sense. Rather, the command is for us to behave lovingly. In this light, 'And you shall love,' actually means, 'You shall perform acts of love.' This is the true test: action, deeds, performance. Feelings can be deceptive. Sometimes, what we perceive as love may in fact be another emotion. But actions cannot be mistaken. So, rather than ask, 'What is love?' we must ask, 'Do I perform acts of love for my beloved?' and 'Does my beloved perform acts of love for me?'"
Just a couple of thoughts on loving the Lord...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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