Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Do your parents ever ask you, “Did you hear me?” If they say it with a slightly angry voice, it probably means that you have been asked to do something, but haven’t listened. So when they ask if you have heard them, they mean more than whether you have just heard their words. They are also asking if you have obeyed them.

To “hear” in the Bible means more than just to listen to the words. It means to know and obey. What follows is very important and must be obeyed. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” The Israelites, and we, must know that the Lord is one. This means that there is only one God. The gods of the Israelites are not gods at all. They can’t do anything at all. God is the only one who must be worshiped.

The Lord, the covenant God, is also one in the sense that he has one purpose and direction. He doesn’t change his mind or get moody. Not at all. The Lord is one, consistent, always the same. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is a God who we can count on. We can believe in his promises.

It is this God that we are commanded to love with our whole heart, soul and strength. We can love him with our whole being, in every part of our life. You can’t just love the Lord on Sundays and forget about him during the rest of the week. You must love the Lord while you are out and about, while you are at school, while you are at a party, when you are in your bedroom, or when you are on the computer. We must love God completely.

To love God in this way you must know him and have a personal relationship with him. You can’t love someone that you don’t know. So, take the time to read and study the Bible. Read it every day and pray to God, asking him to help you to know him better.

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean that the Lord is one?

Source: Sermon by Rev. W. van der Jagt