Today’s devotion is based off of week 2 of Unlikely Heroes: A Teacher (WATCH HERE)
The story is told that when Vince Lombardi, the famous coach of the Green Bay Packers, began a new year of practice, he picked up a football and held it before the team. “This is a football.” He would state.
By time a player got to the NFL, you would think they would know it was a football. However, the point of the statement was to set the tone for the team that if they didn’t understand and master the basics, the rest of the team play would be challenging.
So it is with the law of God. Moses (repeated by Jesus) starts with the basics. But perhaps in this case, it is not as obvious to everyone as a football was to Lombardi’s team.
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Maybe when people in Israel heard Moses say this for the first time, they thought, “Of course he is.
However, for Israel and for us today, the statement bears repeating and emphasis. Israel would struggle in their history with the worship of other gods. This basic truth is still important to state clearly.
The LORD God is different than Buddah, Allah, or Vishnu. Even though some may think that all gods are the same, the Lord God in now way would agree to that.
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Why is this so important to establish? Because to love any other entity or thing that is called god is an empty love at best a false love at worst.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Notice the clarity of where our love is to be focused: The Lord YOUR God.
So who is this LORD?
He is Creator.
He is the I AM who called Moses to leadership of Israel.
He is the Good Shepherd of whom King David wrote.
He is the God who loved the world so much he sent his Son to save the world.
And the list could go on.
The more we get to know about the LORD and recognize he is not a God “out there” but the personal “our” God, the more we desire to understand with clarity how we are to love him in return for all the love he has shown to us.
Like with anyone to whom we give our loyalty, the more we know them, the easier it is to love them fully.
So it is with the LORD, your God. Get to know him better and realize that when you do, it becomes more clear and perhaps easier to love him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Apply: Choose a book of the Bible to read. List all the things you learn about God. What new thing did you discover to love him for?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to us and being OUR God. We don’t deserve it, but we certainly appreciate it greatly. AMEN.