The Gospel Story - Week 14

These verses contain one of the most influential passages for the Jewish faith, the Shema. The command and warning from Moses to the people of Israel before they enter into the promise land is the equivalent of the New Testament’s “Lord’s Prayer.” The Shema would be prayed multiple times through the day intentionally and then would also be a breath prayer throughout the day.
“Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your might.”
These verses were commanded to be with the people of Israel at every moment of the day and be inscribed on their lives. The continuous reminder that the Lord our God should be our only God. Isn’t that still so needed today? As we are incessantly assaulted on all sides to follow, conform, and give ourselves to culture, platforms, policies, politics, individuals, movements, and ideologies, we are commanded to defend our heart, mind, soul, and strength with an equally incessant reminder that the Lord is our God alone.
God was about ready to give the people of Israel more than they could ask or imagine, they just needed to do one base thing: remember God. Listen to God, love him, obey him, and remember who God is…the one who brought them out of Egypt. It is as if God is saying, “Stay close to me, love me, and I will give you a life you could have never imagined. Don’t let the world dupe you away from me.” Remember:
“Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your might.”