What the Lord Requires

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, to obey all his commandments, to love him, to serve him with all your mind and being.” Deuteronomy 10:12

Once you assume there is a personal God who oversees all existence, it follows that our own personal meaning must flow out His heart for creation. We are not separate, self-fulfilling agents outside of God’s universe. We are as much a part of all nature as each tree, orchid, ant or elephant. We may be the height of His handiwork, but we are in no way separate from it at all.

Recognition

“Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.” 1 Corinthians 1:26

I believe we all long for recognition. I love watching children after they have created something special. Maybe it is a cutout of Jonah and the Whale provided by the Sunday School curriculum. Or perhaps they have finished a masterpiece with crayons and markers on paper. They proudly point to each person or item. Maybe they created a small bowl of clay and now Mom and Dad are expected to use it for paper clips or rubber bands. Well, it doesn’t really matter what it is used for, as long as it is used and appointed a place of honor in the front room.

And So He Prospered

“He sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah, about whom this verse is written, was one of the godliest kings of Judah. He restored much of the temple and Passover practices, motivated out of deep devotion to God. This verse sums all it up by telling us that he prospered as a result of this wholehearted love.