Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” is called the Shema by the Jewish people. It is the centerpiece of Hebrew worship. The word Shema means “Hear,” the first word of the verse. A Hebrew will utter the Shema twice daily, their first words in the morning and final words before bed. A daily reminder that there is one, and only one, God, and he is our God and we are his people.
The message of the Shema undergirds all the Psalms: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; The Lord is the stronghold of my life” (Psalm 27:1). The Lord our God, the Lord is one. But more than the Lord one, he is number one. God is the preeminent of all of life.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4
How many walk into church as if God should be glad they are there? David, rather, sought God’s permission to enter! When the Shema becomes the center of life, our Sunday morning question changes from “Do we have to go to church today?” to “Do we get to go to church today?”
Our social apps invite us to post photos in the places we visit. One family took a selfie at church on a Sunday morning and commented, “God 1st.” Later that afternoon, the family took another, this time at Oracle Park, “Baseball 2nd ~ Go GIANTS!!!”
They got it right. God is One. Everything else get in line.
Daily Prayer
God, my Savior, I offer myself, body, soul, and spirit, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to You. I love You, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Transform me, God, to reflect Your glory, to resemble Your Son.
You would rather I obey Your Word than play at religion. My obedience is not merely a demonstration of righteousness, but a display of love. I want to know Your Word, follow Your ways, and live in Your love. God, my strength comes from You; my life centers around You. Nothing more, nothing less.
Amen
Daily Question
What is first in your life? Is it obvious?