Banquet With The King: Birthday Blessings for Lisa

"Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders." Deuteronomy 6:4-8 NLT

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Nod other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:28-31 NLT

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31 NIV

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37 NIV

He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27 NIV

(Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mark 12:30. This is my daughter’s favorite verse and today is her 50^th birthday, so I thought I’d make this our focus verse today. Loving God has been a command since very early teachings of the Israelites by Moses. Read again the scripture from Deuteronomy above. Moses is giving them specific instructions, “you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” This teaching explicitly tells the parents—especially the fathers—that they should teach the commandments—meaning the Ten Commandments—to their children. This scripture passage is part of the Sherma which the Jews recite both in morning and night rituals. Jesus declared it to be the most important, as recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Do you daily acknowledge that you love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Jesus, the Son of God and God Himself, has given us knowledge and specific teaching that helps us to understand God and to establish a relationship with Him. Those who believe will have an eternal home in Heaven. That can be you. If you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of your life, you will be part of God’s family. Adopted. I’ve been “adopted” into God’s family. I know Lisa and her family have also. We’ll one day be in God’s holy heaven. This is love—to be with family and friends—and to know God loves us so much that He gave up His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins. In the purity that the blood of Jesus provides, we are accepted into God’s family—adopted—to serve the Lord in whatever way He chooses. Choose God—choose life, eternally. Choose to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Prayer – Lord God, we thank You for Lisa and the blessings You have given her and her family. Continue to guide them as they seek and serve You, in love, with all their hearts, souls, mind, and strength.

Verse of Salvation ~ May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" Psalm 70:4 ESV

Happy 50^th Birthday Sweet Lisa

Love You Much

May God continue to bless you—as you seek and serve Him!

You are certainly serving Him through your family.

Hugs & Prayers

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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