The Greatest Command

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/247qls

Muhammad Ali declared that he was “the greatest.” Tom Brokaw wrote a book about The Greatest Generation. Guinness publishes a book each year of world records, including those who lift the greatest weights, live the longest, and do this or that the most.

We become fascinated with what is the greatest. And that’s not a bad thing. It should help to inspire us to even greater heights of service, work and accomplishment.

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses is retelling the Law to the people. In chapter 5 he lists the Ten Commandments again for the people and then reminds them of how they used to fear God.

Then in chapter 6 he sums up the commandments and statutes that God has commanded. Notice what he says,

“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—a land flowing with milk and honey.” Deut. 6:1-3.

Notice those actions involved. God commanded us to teach statutes. Observe them. Fear the Lord. Keep all His statutes and commandments. Be careful to observe it. Reap longer days and multiply greatly.

Of course, with so many rules and regulations it may become difficult to keep them all in order. Which ones are the most important? Moses provides the key to keeping all of the commandments when he specifies the following:

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deut. 6:4-9.

If we are to be found acceptable to God, we must keep His commandments as our guides in life. They need to be with us throughout the day—when we rise and when we retire for the evening.

In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus is asked a question by a lawyer. He said, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus replies that it is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus said that all of the law hangs on these two commandments.

Friends, if we are to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind, then we will certainly desire to do all that God commands us.

Serving God faithfully is not about selfish service or fair-weather faithfulness.

Rather, it is to serve Him with loving loyalty and determined devotion.

If we fail to capture the concept of the greatest command in our minds, then we will have difficulty in following any of the other commands. Get the greatest command right in our heart and the rest will come very easily.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we realize that God wants our obedience and devotion in everything we do. May we determine to demonstrate our love to God by giving that love to our neighbors as well.

Our thought for the day: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran

May God bless you on your daily walk.