#1 A Look Back at Deuteronomy 6:5

"A Look Back" is a new series for my blog that will be posted under Biblical Reflections. This will be a 9 part series that focuses on the memory verses I learned with the kids this summer. I will take each verse, look at its context, and comment on the passage. This is a great opportunity for myself to study look back at this amazing summer! I hope you enjoy some of these reflections.

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

It seems like such a long time ago when I first began teaching this verse to the kids. Summer is over, but this verse still rings through my mind. We had some of the after school students quoting it this afternoon. There is so much that one could draw from it by just looking at this one verse. However, I am looking at the greater context of chapter 6.

1. Learning from the Past - I am sure that many of you know the story, but if not I will briefly catch you up. The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians. But through the Lord's leadership in Moses, they were brought out of Egypt and began moving toward the Promised Land. They never made it to the land under Moses' leadership, but they were prepared for what awaited them. This is known as the "Greatest Commandment," and this is where God wanted them to turn their focus completely on Him. He reminded them of what was in their past, encouraging them to focus on Him as the future unfolded. We cannot dwell on past events, but we must continuously remember God's miracles and guidance through past events. Also, we must always learn from the mistakes that we had made in the past.
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2. Loving the Lord - The central focus of the verse itself is love. By focusing only on the verse, one is immediately drawn to the command to love. It seems so simple, but it can be so hard to fulfill. What does it mean to love the Lord? Any and every aspect of life should be centered around Him! No matter what it is you think, do, say, etc., it should always be focused on Him, out of love. But how many times do we fail?
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3. Leading Others - By learning from the past, and by learning to love, we have a great opportunity to lead others to the Lord. Verses 7-9 show the fruits that come from this great command. They show when and how to love the Lord. But they also encourage us to teach these things to others. We are commanded to "teach them diligently to our children." For the Israelites, they needed to pass on God's miracles and provisions to the newer generations. Their children needed to hear the stories of God's great power. But this applies also to us. God still provides for His children, and it is our responsibility to tell others what He has done for us as well.

The command is simple enough; love the Lord. But it is so hard to carry out. We have to remember where we have been, looking to see what God did in the past. And we have to share those miracles and even life lessons with our children, leading them in the way of the Lord. But above all, we have to love the Lord. It all begins with love. Without love, we will not be appreciative of the lessons we learn in life. Without love, we will not see the miracles God daily provides. Without love, we will not care to share God with others. It all boils down to love.

Matt