Love The Lord With All of Your Might

Intro:

What is “Might”?

A potter’s wheel: Imagine if you will a ball of dry clay. A dry ball of dirt is nothing until it is moistened and pressure applied from the potter’s hands. As the wheel turns and the fingers of the potter pinch and squeeze the clay transformation takes place. A ball of dirt is not anymore. But just because something can be made doesn’t make it wonderful. A sculptor can produce something offensive and profane or something absolutely beautiful.

Take for instance when empires talk about their military might they flaunt their largest and meanest weapons. But there is another picture that gives a message of might that you might not think about right away. The #USNSMercy or USNS Comfort are not just a ship; it's a symbol of hope. It’s one of the #USNavy’s two hospital ships crewed by up to 1,200 sailors.

Hospital ships are a work of might. Being able to care about people in a number of way mitigating humanitarian aid and relief from war, natural disasters, disease, you name it.

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” ― Plato

What does the Bible mean to love God with all of your might?

HB: ME 'OD (Adverb) Meaning "very" or muchness

GK: Dunamis: Meaning power

Genesis 1:31, 7:18, Gen 4:5, 1 Sam. 11:15

God said it was “ Me’Od good”

Cain was “Me’Od angry”

ME'OD when used twice in a row such as describing the wealth of Jacob becomes extremely wealthy.

Might or power, is the external expression of resources and influence oriented by our affections, held in our devotional existence, moving in the direction of the mind.

Affections of the heart orient the direction of the soul; the soul holds the center of our devotional existence, and our devotion is regulated by the knowledge of God in the mind, and expressed through our influence and resources.

The stories of the Bible are the best commentary on its teachings.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Significance

The biblical accounts of Josiah’s reign are found in 2 Kgs 22:1–23:30 and 2 Chr 34–35. The account in 2 Kings emphasizes Josiah’s unique piety

The Lexham Bible Dictionary The Book of the Law

Josiah is distressed because the book contained Yahweh’s laws which had been unknown, forgotten, or ignored, but the worst part was the fearful curses accompanying failure to keep the covenant laws. The king sent a delegation to Huldah the prophetess for an insight from God on the book; she assured them that the curses were valid and that all the judgments written in the book were impending. The account is found in 2 Kgs 22:3–20.

King Josiah

2Kgs 23:25

2 Kings 23:25 NRSV

Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

Consider the scribe asking Jesus the question. It cannot be about physical strength but strength of influence and resource.

Authority and ability. Living into the calling to love God with all of your power is to put to work your influence and resource to equip and build God's kingdom through the blessings he has bestowed on to you.

All of what we can do and offer is to be directed toward loving God. We love God with our time, talent, treasure, and testimony. We share all of these. The ship of Christianity is not a cruise ship but one set to extend and influence the world around us toward receiving the Gospel.

To love God with all our MIGHT means to love him with all of our power and resources.

Generosity, love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. These are the things within our authority and resources to grant.

The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.

John Wesley

What practices can we put into place to live out what is pouring out of us:

John Wesley wrote as his Rule:

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.450

John Wesley

Life Is Short and eternity is forever

King Josiah utilized his position to bring Israel back to covenant relationship with God.

We live lives in a way that becomes a witness.

Something that testifies to who we are because of who’s we are. W

When Christ is what fills us, Christ comes from us.

Galatians 2:20 NRSV

and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Loving God with your me'od means devoting every possibility, opportunity, and capacity that you have to honoring God and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Your life is to be a reflection of who God is and what he has done! We do not love God out of our physical strength but through our authority and influence. Walk it and Talk it, Live it and give it, know it and show it, teach it and preach it

Love the Lord your God with all of your might!