Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut. 6:5)
Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hospitals can be a scary place, especially overnight for a six-year-old. Although my dad stayed with me after my surgery, I remember the warm smile from my pastor’s visit. Sweetly, he placed a bouquet of flowers in my small hands. A few days later Pastor Freeman came to our home with a large carton of chocolate ice cream. He expressed, “This is for you, and you do not have to share with your siblings.” Excitedly I grabbed the biggest spoon, sat in the middle of the room, and ate out of the carton.
Love speaks loudest when in action. We may love someone but unless time is invested, it is not effective. We can say we love God, but do our actions confirm? The places we go, the activities we do, the books we read are to represent him. Will others listen to our words, observe our actions, and conclude where our love resides?
Moses instructed the people of Israel to love God completely. He continued to express the importance of obeying God and of spending time learning about his commandments.
Just at the pastor invested time in me, let us invest in God’s word. By doing this, we can learn and mimic love. He has ample love for all; therefore we do not have to share. Love is unique. The more we give, the more we have.
Let excitement of God’s love be contagious!
Denise Moore Greene was raised in The Wesleyan Church and resides in North Carolina. She enjoys time with her husband, children, and five grandchildren.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
