Get Truth Get Life

Mark 12:28-30 (KJV) – “²⁸ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all? ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

When Jesus said these words, He was referencing Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the Jewish prayer known as the Shema.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (KJV) – “⁴Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: ⁵ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Levav is the Hebrew word for heart. In Hebrew, heart and mind mean the same thing. In the Western world and in Greek (the language of the New Testament which was used in Mark 12:28-30) heart and mind are different things. Heart refers to the emotional function of a human being while mind refers to the cognitive function of a human being. That is why Deuteronomy 6:5 does not include mind because the mind is part of the heart in Hebrew and the Old Testament was written in Hebrew.

Levav (heart) has three components. These are:

• Your mind (your thoughts, reasoning, memory, and intellect).
• Your emotions (your feelings and passions).
• Your will (your decisions and choices).

God says, “remember” in the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8). Remembering is the usage of memory. It requires one to use their mental capacity. This means that you ought to exercise your mental capacity in things that are related to God. Think about God. Think of His Word and His character.

While being guided by the Holy Spirit, exercise your mental capacity to reason out scripture. Spend time intentionally contemplating God’s Word. When studying science and nature and any other true educational material, try to find out how it is connected to God. Spend time memorizing scripture. Do this and you will have abundance of peace and joy within you. Your mental capacity will also increase and strengthen.

Your emotions need to be centered on God. You need to ask Him to help you to feel what He feels. If you do that, you will hate sin and love righteousness. You also need to choose what pleases God and make decisions that align with God’s Word.

Nefesh is the Hebrew Word for soul. Many people (including me before I came to the light of this matter) are unable to differentiate between heart and soul. The heart is like the inner control center. It is like the operating system of a device while the soul is the entire device powered on.

Nefesh (soul) includes:

• Your life force – Your breath. What makes you alive. This also includes your body. Not as separate from your soul but as part of your entire living being. To try to help you understand better, Myron Golden often says statements like, “You know how to look but you don’t know how to make your eyes see.” The ability of your body to function the way it functions lies in your soul.
• Your identity – Who you are deep down. This also includes your personality. It includes your temperament, preferences, and how you relate to others. It also includes other small things that make you unique like your sense of humor, your voice and your quirks (the unique little traits and behaviors that make you). It also includes your desires and cravings. Your fantasies, your responsibilities, your yearnings and your ambitions are also part of your identity.
• Your very self – You. Your entire existence.

The Hebrew word for might is Me’od. This word means “muchness,” abundance, strength, force, or resources. It can mean everything you’ve got: energy, money, talents, influence. It means to love God exceedingly, with all your effort, wealth, and capacity. In other words, your everything.

What Jesus was saying is that you need to love God with all that you have. Everything you have includes your money, time, clothes, thoughts and everything else. One of the reasons why God doesn’t move miraculously in our lives is that we do not give Him our all. Of the seven days in a week, we only give God the Sabbath or Sunday and fully deny Him the others. God can never get our time on Monday or Tuesday despite Him having your back and making you breathe every second.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

We need to do everything to the glory of God and not to the glory of ourselves. Therefore before we do anything, we should ask ourselves how it glorifies God. The glory of God should come first in our minds and not how we will benefit. If the glory of God comes first, our work will be more excellent than it usually is. If the glory of God is considered first, we will produce more value than what we are paid for. This will make us exceptional in our work and businesses, making more people want to work with us or buy from us.

The first rule to true success in anything is the death of self. Selfish ambitions need to die at all costs. When one cultivates the habit of selflessness, God is obligated to reward them because the world may not always have the capacity to reward them. He who has infinite resources (because He can create) will gift the one who always acts in His glory.

Hebrews 13:16 (NKJV) – “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” When you please an earthly king or the richest person in the world, there is a limit to what they can give you. They don’t have the power to give you health or prolong your life even for a millisecond. They cannot give you wealth beyond what they possess. However, God can give you all those things.

One reason why you need to have 100% commitment to God is that God’s commitment to your salvation was with everything He had. After you have returned the tithe, which is 10%, take the rest of the money to God and ask Him to guide you in managing it. Every day when you wake up in the morning, surrender your life to God and ask Him to guide you in everything you do. Involve God before you do all activities including those you consider petty.

Psalm 1:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.”

God’s Word should always be at the top of our minds as He compels us to meditate upon His word day and night. The supreme Word of God should guide all our decisions.

What promise does God assure us when we always have His word at the top of our minds?

Psalm 1:3 (KJV) – “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

“Those who study the Bible, counsel with God, and rely upon Christ will be enabled to act wisely at all times and under all circumstances. Good principles will be illustrated in actual life. Only let the truth for this time be cordially received and become the basis of character, and it will produce steadfastness of purpose, which the allurements of pleasure, the fickleness of custom, the contempt of the world-loving, and the heart’s own clamors for self-indulgence are powerless to influence. Conscience must be first enlightened, the will must be brought into subjection. The love of truth and righteousness must reign in the soul, and a character will appear which heaven can approve.” – Lift Him Up, Page 336.2, Ellen G. White.

The Bible is not only a book of truth, it is a training ground for discernment, a blueprint for character, and an anchor for a steadfast life. Those who walk with Christ will not be swayed by the world, for their foundation is firm, and their purpose unshakable. The Bible is God’s instrument to ignite a resolve that the world cannot bend.

God wants you to give Him your all. It will be fair to do that because He has given you His all.

GOD BLESS YOU, SHALOM!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your immense love and commitment to us. You have given Your all, and today, we choose to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to center our thoughts on You, align our emotions with Your will, and make choices that honor You. Guide us to surrender our entire lives to You, using everything we have to glorify Your name. May we reflect Your love and truth in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

1. Daily Commitment: Begin each day by giving God your thoughts. As soon as you wake up, take a few moments to surrender your mind, emotions, and actions to Him. Pray, “Lord, guide me today. May all my thoughts, words, and actions glorify You.”
2. Mindful Reflection: Throughout the day, make a conscious effort to think about how each task, big or small, can glorify God. Whether it’s a work task, a conversation, or a moment of rest, ask yourself, “How can I do this for God’s glory?” This is a reminder to do all things with an attitude of worship.
3. Generosity in Action: At least once a week, step out of your comfort zone to give generously, whether it is through your time, talents, or resources. Do this as an expression of loving God with all your might. It could be helping someone in need, volunteering, or sharing a meal with someone.
4. Recite Deuteronomy 6:4-5 daily. However instead of saying, “Hear, O Israel,” say “Hear O (your name).” You can also recite it twice a day, when you wake up and before you sleep.
5. Share this message with someone.

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

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