“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)
All: the whole of (used in referring to quality, extent, duration).
All holds nothing back; nothing is left in reserve. All also refers to the lifetime of a thing. We love God with our whole heart and soul and strength the whole of our life.
All is an internal and an external commandment: we love God through our action but also through thought and motive.
When we examine the culture of the Israelites, we realize that ALL is so much easier than SOME. See, the neighboring nations served many gods. The people were continually obsessing: who had they offended and who were they neglecting? When we visited Ceasara Phillipi in Israel last year, the Temple of Pan still shared courts with Nemesis and Zeus. Often times false god altars were were positioned together so the worshipers could make the worship circuit in one convenient pass.
Realize the benefit of ONE God to serve; the Lord your God. He asked for ALL leaving nothing left to fritter away on fake gods. The One True God simplified worship: one God, all your heart, all your soul, all your strength.
“It is better to have one fountain than a thousand cisterns: one all sufficient God than a thousand insufficient friends.” (Matthew Henry)
The difference between a fountain and a cistern is source. Cisterns are dependent on rain runoff, but fountains flow regardless. A thousand cisterns won’t do you a bit of good if there’s not a drop of rain to be found.
For some reason I’m thinking of King David and all his wives and wealth, yet he died alone and cold in his bed. He pursued many and ended up with none. We can pursue lesser gods – perhaps not as obvious as Baal or Pan, but certainly wealth, fame, possessions and comfort – we can scatter our affection to lesser beings, but the Lord our God is the One who is worthy, the One who will save us, the One who will carry us home.
“When King David was very old, he could not keep warm, even when they put covers on him. So his attendants said, ‘Let us look for a young virgin to serve the King and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our Lord may keep warm.” (1 Kings 1:1-2 NIV)
Our affections spent everywhere will eventually leave us cold and wanting. King David had let his love for war and woman infiltrate his heart and weaken his affection for God. It’s unfortunate because he started so strong, he began as a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22)
We can all slide away form all. Distraction and temptations will contribute to spiritual drift unless we guard against them, unless we pursue God with ALL our heart, soul and strength.
“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. I will praise You, Lord my God with ALL my heart; I will glorify Your name, forever.” (Psalm 86:11-12 NIV)
Lord, we receive Your command of ALL. We see how ALL is easier than many and better than some. Help us live wholly committed, holding nothing back from Your blessing. Keep us from spiritual drift as we worship You with ALL our being. Amen.