Will We Give Our Hearts, Minds, and Souls To God As A Priority?

Good Morning Friends,

Yesterday I was watching with my wife the Animal Planet programing called, Too Cute. It is all about puppies and kittens and cute cuddly animals that somehow in the viewing reduces anxiety. My mother in law who is in lock down in her apartment in a retirement community in Ohio has been watching the same programming. So, this morning I turn to the scripture of the day in the hopes of some continuing comfort. And what we have is a little prophetic poetry from the experience of Hosea and a passage of Jesus instructing on the law of love and they combine I think, as we live our lives, to bring us some comfort too but also to prompt us to be thankful for all the unsung heroes working to keep the shelves stocked and those in the medical profession on the front lines caring for others. But the passages also urge us contemplate something deeper as well.  Will We Give Our Hearts, Minds, and Souls To God As A Priority?  

Scripture: Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me. Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea 14:2-10 (NRSV)

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Mark 12:28-34 (NRSV)

He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Matthew 22:37 (NRSV)

Message: Both Jesus and Hosea, in today’s text confronts the reality that not everyone is faithful. There are the bad examples…. the patient #31 types that blow the containment by not following protocols and almost single handedly extent the suffering and infection of others. But for me, the text also implies an understanding that God’s faith is in us to do something right. Friends, God’s love for us is initially more important than our faith in and love of God, for one begets the other. So, they both are calls for repentance with hope in the promise of forgiveness and renewal that seems so right and at the same time so impossible…a collective response. Such hope is offered up by both Hosea and Jesus. Interestingly both their names come from the same root which means deliverance and help…something the world needs now so desperately So, on the one hand we have the rejected prophet of doom and on the other an offer of love which calls us to submit, but both the carrot and stick are designed to help us confront the challenge of being fully committed to the relationship with God. So, friends, here is the deal, if all God wanted was our hearts that would not be so tough, if we could retain our mind as our own. And it would not be so bad to offer our mind if we still let our heart do what it would do. But God wants both and even if we give both mind and heart, we unfortunately still want to retain our soul’s strength as our own. The reality is that we do want to shape our future with our own hands and so we really need grace to submit totally as a trinity. I guess we will have to wait to see if the prophets are correct. But I for one am hoping for something amazing and surprising in the collective impact of believers in the love of God shared transforms what is now happening in the world.

And So, God searches and knows us and nudges us to give ourselves fully to the cause. And it is in those moments when we give our hearts, minds and souls to God that we find peace and strength to complete the connection in a way to glorify God. When we are all in, we begin to put value into the right people, places and things. We begin to feel renewed and find happiness and purpose. It is in submitting that we experience true love and are made fearless and are rescued from the pain of life. Friends, this is what we were made to become. For all the little things we do in the next few months may be more critical than we realize.

Pray we not hold back our commitment to the way, the truth and the life. Pray we have enough grace to overcome our unbelief. Pray we submit totally to God. Pray we realize that God is love and loves like a husband and wife, like a parent and a child and maybe even in a cute cuddly puppy. Pray we realize that we have been redeemed by one who loves us for a purpose. Pray we realize that our God is a God of Holiness and expects us to sow righteousness. Pray we not run away from God. Pray we seek God’s mercy and love. Pray we treat others in the same way that we would like them to love and treat us. Pray we seek God’s help to demonstrate our love for God and others with all our hearts, minds and souls. Pray we fight the good fight.

Blessings,

John Lawson