Last night I finished the third book in the Historical Biblical fiction series "Chronicles of The Kings" by Lynn Austen (Book 1, "Gods & Kings" is available free as an e-book from Amazon.I highly recommend it!) Each one of these books has captivated me, making it near impossible to set them down even to eat a meal, let alone go to sleep. Last night I was up til after midnight, wandering about ancient Jerusalem with King Hezekiah, Eliakim and the prophet, Isaiah.
It amazes me how much I have learned about my walk with God through the stories Ms, Austen has portrayed. Last night, as I reached the end of the latest book, it occured to me, of all the lessons Hezekiah learned, there was one which may have made the biggest difference in his life, and that of his nation.
If I were to apply this same lesson to my life all the other pieces would have no choice but to fall into place.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (KJV): And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might.
At first glance it seems such a simple commandment. Love God. Okay. Got it. Next....But when I stopped, considered all that Hezekiah went through, and all that he was saved from, only to continue on, the miraculous moments gradually fading from his mind, becoming less miraculous with every passing year, it reminded me of myself.
How many times has The Lord intervened in my life, or in the lives of my children? How many times have I allowed those miraculous events to fade from my memory... How many of those miracles have I allowed my children to forget? After all, Kimmi was but an infant when she was healed of a hole in her heart. How is she to remember that, unless I remind her? Nathan was only 6 when his Dr. was totally blown away by his overnight healing of a herniated blood vessel. I wonder how distant that memory is for him now?
If I Love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my might, how can I forget these miracles for even an instant? How can I stop praising Him for being so good to me, for loving me so much, that even when I wasn't serving Him, he was watching out for me and my children, expressing His love?
The more I think about it, the more I realize what power is contained in this oft overlooked commandment. If I love The Lord, my God, with all my heart, He provides me with His Spirit to help me to never waver in that love. If I truly love Him, never wavering, then all I want to do is please Him, make Him happy. I will praise Him, and I will honor Him in all I do. And if I love Him, and put all my heart into loving Him, pleasing Him, then I will naturally follow His commandments. He won't even have to tell me what to do. It's a no brainer! If it will make Him happy, then I'll do it!
Then, the part that is truly amazing. The power behind the love. If I love Him, and show Him I love Him, by striving to please Him, and by communicating with Him, talking to Him in prayer, allowing Him to talk to me through His word, and through His Spirit, He will bless me and my family beyond my wildest imagination! Just look at what He did for those who honored Him in the past! Moses! Noah! David! Hezekiah! Me!!
What more can I say? Oh Lord, my God, I love you! I love you with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my might! I honor you, and I praise you with all that is within me! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you have done, all you are doing, and all you will do for me and my family. Thank you for forgiving me, and making me a part of your family. Bless your Holy Name!
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