Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

– Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This scripture helps me to define and develop my relationship with God. It tells me who He is, the One True God, and then it tells me how I can belong to Him. Loving, praising and worshipping God with all my heart is the reason I am here, and the only route to knowing Him. God wants my heart, and in the commandments, He tells me how I can give Him my heart. If I want to have a seeking, growing, firm and infinite relationship with Him, then I need to continually focus my thoughts and actions on my relationship with Him, through following His Word.

This scripture describes to me how the composition of a loving relationship with Him is grown every day through how I listen to Him, and more specifically how I obey His Will. He makes obedience very clear, simple and straightforward for me in the commandments and throughout His Word. Verses 5-9 underline and stress just how continuous, heartfelt and comprehensive He wants my efforts to be. God is Love, so learning love from Him is elementary. His Spirit is teaching me every day.

PRAYER:

Gracious and Loving Lord, Thank you for teaching me how to follow You, through Your Spirit, Your Word and through all those You have placed in my life. Amen.

– Jill Dietrich