The “Love” Connection

5-8-11

Jeremiah wrote: “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” - 17:10

Years earlier, Moses explained how God "tried" man's heart:

¹ And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, giveth you.

² Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.

⁵ Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it.

⁶ Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

⁷ For what great nation is there, that hath a god so nigh unto them, as Jehovah our God is whensoever we call upon him?

⁸ And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

⁹ Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children;

¹⁶ Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

¹⁷ the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the heavens,

¹⁸ the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;

¹⁹ and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven. – Deut. 4

²⁴ And Jehovah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.

²⁵ And it shall be righteousness unto us, if we observe to do all this commandment before Jehovah our God, as he hath commanded us. – Deut. 6

"All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers.

And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee.

And thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him." - Deut. 6:1-6

It is no wonder that the Lord stated, "If you love Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.” - John 14:15.

²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. – Matt. 7

God loved us so much that he gave us instructions (commands) as to how to live our lives; if we love him for this, what will we do in regard to these commands?

Roger Bruner