“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV
“18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18 NKJV
“34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”” Matthew 22:34-40 NKJV
Our Lord God,
You do not change. You have not changed as long as man has known You. You spoke to those You first called through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses. You did not have to adapt to suit the age. You called them to adapt to Your ways. And when Jesus Your Son came, He was the visible image of You Lord God (Colossians 1:15). He walked the earth, He spoke Your Words. He lived Your words He was Your Word (John 1:14).
So here, in the beginning of Deuteronomy, we see You were revealing Yourself, giving the Law and rules for a Godly community. Clear, precise and achievable? If they all agreed and did as asked? They struggled with being godly and being good alas.
But we have more than the written Law. When Jesus came, He was the fulfilment of the Law, He was the living Law and called us into His community, family, belonging to You (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:5).
We still struggle with being godly and keeping those two simple laws. We need Your Holy Spirit to be our rock and fortress and deliverer (Psalm 18:2) We need our Christian family to learn to love each other. Sometimes it is the ones who annoy us who teach us the most about Your grace . . .
Jesus knew two things are easier to remember than a whole book. And many of us learn by seeing an example not just reading. We have no excuse. Love God and love each other. Easy, hard? Some days easier than others . . . Lord help us remain constant.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Wednesday 25th February 2026
For showing us the Father. The Lawgiver and judge but who pardons absolutely.
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love thee because thou hast first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the death dew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
What can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus
I surrender all, I surrender all . . .
Lyrics: William Ralph Featherston
It was not until recent years that the identity of the teenage songwriter, William Ralph Featherstone (1846-1873), became known. It is reported he grew up in Canada. In Toronto in 1862, he became a Christian. His conversion experience was a life-changing event. The 16-year-old wrote a poem, My Jesus I love thee .
Some historians say it went via a relative in Los Angeles to England and appeared in The London Hymnal, published in 1864. Years later, in Boston, Massachusetts, Pastor A. J. Gordon was compiling a hymnal for Baptists and came across “My Jesus I Love Thee.” He was not impressed with the music and wrote a new tune, that carried the lyrics to every corner of our world.