READ: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God. —Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Recently, while watching a video of a church service held in South America, I noticed something I had never seen before in church. As the pastor passionately called his flock to yield their lives to Jesus, one of the parishioners took a white hankie out of his pocket and started waving it in the air. Then another, and another. With tears running down their cheeks, they were expressing full surrender to Christ.
But I wonder if there was more to the moment than the flags of surrender. I think they were waving flags of love to God. When God told His people to “love the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:5), it was in the context of His urging them to surrender their lives to Him.
From God’s point of view, life with Him is far more than just trying to be good. It is always about relationship—relationship in which surrender is the way we express our grateful love to Him. Jesus, in amazing love for us, surrendered Himself on the cross to rescue us from our helpless bondage to sin and set us on a journey to all that is good and glorious.
We don’t have enough words to tell God how much we love Him! So, let’s show Him our love by surrendering our hearts and lives to follow Him. —Joe Stowell
Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. —Orr
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. —Orr
Surrender is God’s love language.
Bible in a year: Psalms 33-34; Acts 24
Insight
Deuteronomy 6:4 contains the Shema (or Shema Yisrael). This affirmation of the oneness of God (“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”) is the centerpiece of the morning and evening prayers of observant Jews. The title Shema comes from the Hebrew term for the first word in the verse,hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment
RULES OF THE ROAD:
1)The Names and Titles of God our Father and Jesus Christ our Savior will be respected at all times.
2) Discussion is encouraged, however, respect for other people and their opinions is the rule---play nice.
3) No profanity, allusions, innuendos or just plain nastiness will be tolerated. Decency WILL prevail.
This is MY house and YOU are a guest here and differences of opinion will be tolerated as long as you conduct yourself accordingly. If "the exercise of civility is beyond your ability" or you were never taught by your parents, feel free to take your toys and go home and vent your pent-up anger elsewhere.