This week in worship we are reading from Deuteronomy 10:12-22 just after Moses receives the second set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments. And Moses poses this rhetorical question to the Israelites, “So what does God require of you?” He then offers the answer as a “simple” solution. “Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
In a time when the Israelites need a lot of direction, he attempts to help them understand the ultimate goal is not some destination, but rather a relationship with God. It’s more simple (hypothetically) than they have often made it.
For us living in the year 2022, we too are in need of both spiritual and physical direction. And I offer that these words summed up, JUST LOVE, are the solution we may need. However, loving God is not a checklist we can mark off, but rather a journey we embark upon. These words of Moses invite us into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.
I once heard a pastor frame “loving God” as the ultimate goal in life. It is something we spend our whole lives LEARNING TO DO. It is nothing that any of us have mastered quite yet. And just like Moses instructs the Israelites, as we learn to love God, we learn to stand on the side of the oppressed and marginalized communities in our world. As we learn more about God, we learn more about the love of God and therefore take on the love of God in our own lives advocating for others.
No matter where you are on the journey, remember that faith is a journey. We are all learning and growing in love for God each and every day, and the further we get, the better we are able to love our neighbors. Let us each continue learning how to love God each step of the journey. It’s that simple! :)
Sunday we will have the honor of hearing Harold Marrero, our Media Director, share the message with us. I pray you might join us in worship online or in-person at 11am!
Have a great weekend!
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Kipp
