Willing Obedience is a True Act of Love
Deuteronomy 10:12-11:9
What does our experience tell us about Yahovah? What is our testimony? It is these exploits, these events that occurred in our lives that make us strong and ready to possess the land. We must not underestimate the value of our journey. Our individual journeys in Messiah serve as training grounds and provide us with the experience and knowledge base to move forward and possess that which Yahovah has given us. That which Yahovah has in store for us, although the journey to get there may at times seem insurmountable, is awesome. This was our experience in the wilderness prior to entering the land and it was that light at the end of the tunnel that drove us forward. Unfortunately, we failed to love and respect Yahovah as Yahovah so desired us to do. Instead, we tried to serve and obey Him governed by our flesh. We found that we could not keep Torah to the degree that Yahovah desired that we keep Torah. We kept Torah out of fear and we kept Torah like androids. This never satisfied Father. It was always a heart thing with the Father. Contrary to what we thought Yahovah wanted of us, it was not just compliance to His Torah that He wanted from us. No indeed. Ever since Yah created man, He has sought to have a relationship with him, unlike that which He has with His angels. Yah’s love for us is as deep and complex as the love a mother has for her child. It’s unconditional. It’s immeasurable. But Yah yearns for us to love Him just as He loves us. Is it wrong for us to empty out ourselves and seek to love Yahovah to the same degree He loves us. Oh, I know that scholars and teachers will tell us that we can never love Yahovah as much as He loves us and that may well be true. But the simple fact of the matter is, dear Saints, that many of us have taken that belief to heart and effectively become loveless children of Yahovah. Oh, we’ll gladly honor and observe the Feast Days, honor the food laws and the Shabbat. We’ll fellowship and support our favorite ministries. Many of us will even support charities and help those in need. But as it relates to our love for Yahovah, it has always been and remains plastic–unidimensional–colorless. And this lack of love translates, sadly, over to our brothers and sisters and anyone else who may enter into our spheres of influence–we are suspicious and hesitant to enter into any true, loving relationship with them.
It’s a heart thing. It always has been. Serving and obeying Yahovah is pointless without the heart being the central driving element behind our obedience, praise and service. We must never be so naive to think that Yahovah is fooled by our loveless service to Him–indeed, as the traditionalists love to say, He knows our hearts oh too well. He wants a full commitment, not unlike that of a young couple who are so much in love that they choose to honor that love by taking a marriage vow. Yah’s love for us culminated at the Mount Sinai. He provided us a marriage covenant in advance of our agreeing to abide by that covenant. We knew the terms of that contract and we agreed to be married to Father. Yet we cheated on Father so early in the relationship. Oh how He must have been devastated. Why did we cheat on Father? I believe we cheated on Father because our hearts were never part and parcel of the marriage contract in the first place. We chose to just go along with the covenant and the plan of God because we had nothing better to do at the time. The problem of simply going with the flow and not having our hearts behind the commitment becomes that which ultimately leads to infidelity. It may not lead to idolatry as became the practice of our forefathers. But it may lead to infidelity through other means–allowing the cares of life to drown Him out; becoming preoccupied with materialism; establishing relationships with those who are unequally yoked; or simply walking away from Yahovah altogether. It happens all the time. That’s why it is so vitally important that we start this journey with the heart in sync with our minds. We know at some point that we should follow Yahovah, for whatever reason. So we commit to a relationship with Yahovah. But before moving on in the relationship and commitment, we must evaluate our intentions: do we truly love Father? Are we willing to die for Father? Are we willing to walk away, if necessary, from family, careers, lifestyles, relationships, material things, the things we love in the flesh? How much do we love Yahovah? How much? Because if we can’t certify that question with an unconditional “I love Him beyond measure,” then that relationship will be built on sand and it will ultimately fail. Yahovah opened Himself to us through Moshe and said to us:
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deu 5:29 KJV)
He so desires for us to love Him as much as He loves us. But sadly, that love is rarely returned in any appreciable capacity or measure.
What does our love for Yahovah look like: hands raised in praise; hours on our knees praying; wearing tzitzits to work; reading His Word; thinking about Him from time to time; or having a warm sensation within us as we think about His goodness. Yes, these could to some degree describe our love for Him. But, these displays of love are primarily acts of emotion. We know that emotions come and go, depending upon environment, situations, feelings, worries, hopes, perspectives, etc. Emotions change and thus, love based primarily upon an emotional response to that which Yahovah has done for us or what He will do for us, will most certainly ebb and wane. Yahovah is not naive. He most certainly does, as many in popular Christianity love to say, know our hearts. And depending upon how we feel at any given time, will determine to what degree we love Yahovah. Consequently, take away something we hold precious, our love for the Father may wax seemingly cold. Our lives grow stagnant and everyone around us gets blessed but our lives appear as though we are in a state of hibernation, our love for Yahovah may become equally stagnant. Oh, but get that big raise and great things start happening for us, then we are so in love with Yahovah, aren’t we? Therefore, cognitive, emotionally based love is not what Father desires of us.
The love Father desires from us is obedience based. That obedience is carried through, not out of fear or guilt or feelings of obligation, but out of a genuine heartfelt love for Father. Thus, we do that which Father commands us to do and we do it readily and with zeal and with a willing heart and mind. That is true love for Yahovah.
Thus, our Torah Challenge for today is to love Yahovah the way He commands us to love Him. Any other concept of love, such as the popular, westernized concept of love, though warm and fuzzy at times, is not up to snuff to the love Yahovah is expecting of His chosen ones. Shalom.
Rod Thomas–Coroner Investigator–Messianic Content Creator–Disciple of Yahoshua HaMashiyach–Wishful Musician