Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.

Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.    Deuteronomy 6:4-9 HCSB

If you grew up in the 70’s you are probably familiar with our title today as being a song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977. The singer is professing their deep love for this person to whom they are singing this song. At the same time, the singer is questioning how much the other person loves them.  Although it is a secular song, some of the lyrics are applicable to the love that Christ has for us.  The second stanza of the song says, “I believe in you, you know the door to my very soul. You’re the light in my darkest hour. You’re my savior when I fall.”  Now we could certainly apply this to God’s great love for us, but my question today is how deep is your love for Jesus?

Love is a funny thing.  It can be very fickle.  We say we love a really nice car or nice clothes.  We love certain foods. But those types of love are surface loves.  They are superficial, they really don’t mean anything.  When you find your soul mate and the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, you feel a love that is everlasting, a love that can stand the tests of time.  Your hope is that they feel the same way, right?  You hope that this love you have for them is reciprocated.

Well, we know that God loved us enough to give his one and only son for us.  We know that Jesus loved us enough to suffer a humiliating death on a cross for us so that we may have eternal life.  Now, that’s love my friend (John 15:13). There is no question that God’s love for us is deeper than any love we will ever experience here on earth.  But, does your love for Him run as deep?

Are you willing to lay down your life for Him? Are you willing to stand up for Him? The chorus of the song says, “We are living in a world of fools, breaking us down, when they all should let us be.”  Is the world breaking down your love for Christ? Are you allowing your so-called friends to exhibit a bad influence on you? Are you allowing them to keep your love for you Savior at a shallow, superficial level.  Are you a fair-weather follower? Are you a convenient Christian? My friend there is no such thing, either you are in or you are out.

If your love is not deep, it is useless. I beg of you today to turn to God and submit and surrender to Him.  Give it all to Him, the good, the bad and the ugly in your life.  Allow Him to clean you up and bring you into a love like you have never known. He is waiting with outstretched arms. Won’t you come to Him today? Won’t you love Him with all that you have, with every bit of your heart, your soul, and your mind?

In our scripture passage today, Moses is telling the Israelites that this is the greatest commandment, to love the LORD (Yahweh) the all powerful God, with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. He is telling them that it is so important that they must repeat it to their children, they must constantly think about it and talk about it, and to write it around their homes so that it is in their heart and forever on their mind. Is your love for God that deep, or is it shallow? Is it deep enough to put down the porn? Is it deep enough to walk away when the dirty joke is told? Is it deep enough to clean your mouth? Is it deep enough to want to lead others to this great love? Is it deep enough that you allow God to control how you handle every situation that comes your way?

The only thing I can tell you is that I too have experienced that shallow, superficial relationship with my Lord and Savior and it got me nowhere.  My love wasn’t deep enough to clean up my act.  But once I truly surrendered and gave it all to Him, I never felt a greater peace because I never felt a greater love.  I want you to  feel the same and you can if you will just love Him deeply.

Have a great day!