“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…” (Luke 10:27, NIV).
The greatest commandment is also an implication of the greatest and most wonderful picture of the Glorious God!
God did not give that commandment, because if He wouldn’t we will not love Him. God did not command it to coerce us in loving Him.
We heard others describing or praising a remarkable person: “It’s easy to love him!” They were able to say it, because they were familiar and interested with the individual, knew of and attracted to his many good qualities and really enjoyed his company.
If we really know God, it is more easy to love Him! In fact, He deserves not just an ordinary kind of love – but more than the natural affection, admiration and praises we bestow on our fellow human beings.
God is not only All-Powerful. He is also All-Lovely! If He is SO Powerful, He is equally SO Lovely! And because He is so Lovely, He is also SO Delightful! I thank God for John Piper when he said that we delight in someone we love. God, who is Loving, we also read in Psalm 35:27, “…delights in the well-being of his servant (NIV).”
Notice also the overlooked “ingredient” of love in 1 Cor. 13.
It is always pointed out to us that “Love is patient … kind… does not envy… does not boast… not proud… not rude.. not self-seeking… not easily angered… keeps no record of wrongs.” It is also emphasized that love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” But there are two words in verse 6 that are not highlighted, when “love” is being discussed. Nonetheless, an important “ingredient” of love. In NIV, they are “delight” and “rejoice.” NASB emphasizes “rejoice.” He who loves, delights or rejoices (So, I would say, God is the happiest Being for He loves so much)!
Thus, we could also read the greatest commandment this way: Delight in the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.
Truly, it is not only a suggestion what we read in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD…” (NIV.) Also in the writings of the New Testament: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4, NIV.) “Be joyful always” (1 Thess. 5:16, NIV).
But we do not need our will power in order for us to delight in or love God with all of our capacities and power. We don’t have to strive, to agonize, or even to teach ourselves to do it. When we are interested and enjoy or love to do a particular work, we do not need anyone to force us in doing it. And we do not even struggle within ourselves whether to do it or not.
Also, when we are attracted and become interested with someone, even enjoying his/her company, love naturally blossoms. Or when we are happy with someone, it is easy for us to love the individual.
Actually, God is infinitely Attractive more than the wonder and beauty of His creation! If we are familiar with His Splendor, Majesty and Beauty, our love for Him will naturally burst out. And because He is the very Delightful God, we will always desire for His Presence to rejoice in Him.
David exclaimed, “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (Ps 18:1-3, NIV).
David was attracted to God, because of His Attractive Divine qualities. Because of them, according to David God is worthy of praise and, surely, worthy to be loved. He said, “I love you, O LORD, my strength.”
David was also captivated by God for the good things He did to him, so he said in Ps. 116:1-14:
“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: ‘O LORD, save me!’ The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed; therefore I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’ And in my dismay I said, ‘All men are liars.’ How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people“ (NIV).
Not only David expressed his love for God, but also his joy in Him: “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Ps. 16:11, NASB; also Ps. 21:6).
He also said, “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight” (Ps. 43:4). The New American Standard Version of the Bible renders the verse: “Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy…”
So great was his joy for the God he loved that David declared, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound” (Ps 4:7, NIV). He was more happy with God than the ungodly who enjoyed their prosperity.
Remember also the prophet Habakkuk, who wrestled with suffering, yet in God he could still rejoice!
He said, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab. 3:17-18, NIV).
In the New Testament, Peter wrote to the believers: “Though you have not seen him (Jesus Christ), you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8, NIV).
The Son of God manifested the Great Attractiveness of the Father. Though if He was then in the flesh, we would not desire Him – yet, His inner Beauty would draw us to Him, fill us “with an inexpressible and glorious joy” – we would love Him.
Yes, we need to know God more and more. Learn more about His wonderful qualities. And as we become more familiar with Him, we will be more expose to His Glory – and see how exciting, thrilling and wonderful He really is. He is so worthy to be loved with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and strength.
He gave the greatest commandment because He wanted His people to experience the Greatest Joy! He wanted them to delight in Him -- so they could be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" regardless of their trial or whatever inconvenience in life!
Let us, then, fix our eyes on Jesus. And become more intimately familiar with God. He is Greatly Lovable and Supremely Delightful!
PRAYER: Our Magnificent God, we thank you for making Yourself known to us. Indeed, what a privilege to see Your Glory and to love and delight in You! Merciful Father, may You continue to reveal Your Splendor to Your people. Help us to grow in our love for You and find more satisfaction and joy in Your Presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
