One Alone, Not First of Many

Scripture: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! Deuteronomy 6:4

Observation: Thus starts the Shema, the great prayer and declaration that is the foundation of all commands and instruction. It is likely better translated as "The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!" or "The Lord is God, the Lord is the only one!" No matter what, the Shema expresses two core truths about Yahweh.

First, Yahweh is God. There is no question about this ... he is the sovereign authority of the earth and everything in it. He has rule over nature, animals, and all mankind. And he has rule over every single individual. He is God.

Second, Yahweh stands alone. He is not supreme among many. He is not the first of several things we should honor. He is not preeminent. He is ... the only. There is no other thing, concept, person, or being we are to love and honor.

Application: I miss many, many things right now. To list the most obvious, I miss freedom of movement, prepared meals, and watching sports. However, by losing these things, perhaps I have actually learned a much better lesson, which is that I focus on them too often as my first joy.

I love going to a nice dinner. I love travel. I love going to nice dinners while traveling! I love relaxing while watching sports, and then discussing and analyzing them with friends. And while it is certainly true that God has no problem with me enjoying these things - we wants us to be happy and joyful and receive and enjoy his blessings in our lives - it is true that the Lord should be what I truly love. Again, not the first thing I love, and not the thing I love most. He should be all that I truly love.

Prayer: Lord, I hear you. You are my Lord and my God. You alone are the only one who is Lord of my life. I thank you for the blessings you have given to me. I thank you for time and leisure, and for entertainment and good food, all of which you provide as a blessing, and give to me the mind to enjoy. Thank you! But Lord, you are all that I truly love. I will recall this as we all continue through this time of limits, and in the end I will be trained to focus on you as the central 'one' in my life. Amen.