Take a look at Deuteronomy 6:4-5:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul , and with all your strength.”
I just love this proclamation. In the Jewish temple, this is known as the Shema, which is Hebrew for “to Hear.” If you have never had the privilege of hearing this recited by a congregation of Israelites, it is always said with a sense of zeal and exclamation. This verse is a Jewish confession of faith and it is recited by the devout twice a day. What a shout out! This is such a poignant statement of faith in the One who is our LORD.
Just for some background, Moses continues this chapter with a recap of the Ten Commandments. But, what I want to focus on is what is also said in Deuteronomy 11:16:
“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you…”
Moses was concerned about what would happen to the Israelites’ faith once they crossed into the promise land of Caanan. Keep in mind, this land was not void of other people who had very different religious practices than the Jews. In fact, the Israelites were about to conquer a land that was VERY pagan. We won’t get into their specific practices, but it was quite gruesome. Moses warned them to steer way clear of these cultures so they would not be drawn in and away from the One True God.
This is why the Shema is such an important practice. When we make a bold proclamation of faith, we are not only telling others of our intentions, we are ingraining it in our own heart. The Israelites were reminding themselves to stay true to their GOD, no matter what was going on around them.
This is an obvious lesson for us as New Testament believers. We need to make this proclamation personal and say it boldly, with conviction! The enemy wants us to be drawn in by the world around us. He wants us to step away from our One True God and towards the earthly “gods” that distract us from loving Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is so easy to get sidetracked by the latest gossip, celebrity worship, or allure of success. This is exactly what Satan wants; that we focus on these temporal things and not on our eternal King. Oh, I pray that we don’t let this happen. Make the LOUD PROCLAMATION everyday. Let the enemy know that you mean business! Your God is LORD and the One and Only God!
LIVE IT OUT! application:
I challenge you to memorize these verses. In fact, go ahead and substitute your name as follows to make it even more personal.
“Hear, O (your name), The LORD our God, the LORD is one!…”
***NOTE: if you are reading thru the Bible with me, as of March 7, you should have read through Deuteronomy 20. I have not kept up with the devotions as the chapters go along and I appologize!