Introduction

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, to this sacred gathering where we come together to uplift our hearts and minds to the glory of God. It is a joy to see each one of you, and I am thankful that we have this time to share in the wisdom of God's word. Today, we turn our attention to a passage that is as profound as it is inspiring, as challenging as it is comforting.

We find ourselves in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 11, verses 1 through 3, where the words of Moses echo across the centuries, speaking to us with a clarity and power that is undiminished by time. Allow me to read: "Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country."

In these verses, we find a threefold call that resonates deeply within us. It is a call to harness our hearts for God's love, to honor Him through obedience, and to hold onto His promises.

Harnessing the Heart for God's Love

When we think about love, we often think about it in terms of our relationships with other people. We love our families, our friends, our partners. But what does it mean to love God? And not just to love Him, but to harness our hearts for His love?

Moses tells the people of Israel to love the Lord their God. This is not a suggestion or a recommendation. It's a command. And it's not just any command. It's the first and greatest commandment. Jesus Himself said so in Matthew 22:37-38. But what does it mean to love God? And how do we harness our hearts for His love?

First, we need to understand what love is. In our culture, love is often portrayed as a feeling, an emotion. But in the Bible, love is much more than that. It's a commitment, a decision, a choice. It's not just about how we feel, but about how we live. It's about what we do. And what we do, according to Moses, is to keep God's requirements, decrees, laws, and commands. This is what it means to love God. It means to obey Him. It means to live in a way that pleases Him. It means to put Him first in our lives, above all else.

But how do we do this? How do we harness our hearts for God's love? How do we make the choice, the decision, to love God and to obey Him?

It starts with knowing who God is. In the Scripture we read, Moses reminds the people of Israel of what God has done for them. He has shown them His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm. He has performed signs and done things in the heart of Egypt. He has delivered them from slavery and brought them to the Promised Land. This is the first step in harnessing our hearts for His love. It's the foundation on which our love for God is built. It's the fuel that drives our desire to obey Him.

But knowing who God is and what He has done for us is not enough. We also need to trust Him. We need to believe in His promises. We need to have faith in His goodness and His love for us. Moses instructs Israel to remember that their children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord. They were not the ones who saw His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm. They were not the ones who saw the signs He performed and the things He did in the heart of Egypt.

And so it is with us. We may not have seen the things that the people of Israel saw. We may not have experienced the things that they experienced. But we are called to love the Lord our God and to keep His requirements, decrees, laws, and commands. We are called to trust in His promises, to have faith in His goodness and His love for us. This is where our love for God becomes real. This is where we harness our hearts for His love. It's in our daily lives, in our choices, in our actions.

In the end, it’s all about relationship. Harnessing our hearts for God's love is not about following a set of rules or regulations. It's not about doing the right things or saying the right words. It's about knowing Him, trusting Him, and loving Him. It's about living in a way that pleases Him, that honors Him, that glorifies Him. And when we do this we find that His love is not a burden, but a blessing. It's not a duty, but a delight.

Honoring God through Obedience

The first aspect of this obedience is seen in the keeping of His requirements ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO