“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.“

Deuteronomy 6:5

This passage of scripture in Jewish culture is called the Shamae. I’ve been studying the Shamae with my seven year old for several months now. I am fascinated by the faithfulness to its recitation.

Every day we have an opportunity to love God with our everything. Our absolute everything. It can be seen with how we take Him with us everywhere we go and with everything we do.

Oh, He is already going with you. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. But we have the option to take Him with us. Chew on this idea for a minute...

This past few weeks, probably the entire month of October actually—I have been reaping the good favor of God loving me with all of his heart, mind, soul and strength.

I gave him my everything. I didn’t earn his everything, because it cannot be earned. I am not perfect, but thank God, God never asked me to be. But when you sow the right seeds you reap harvest. The Lord told me along time ago. A long, long time ago that He would bless me with things I never asked for.

I’m experiencing some of that right now. There have been many tangible blessings (did you know it could be difficult to receive tangible blessings? Well, it is for me. So though it’s a gift, I am always humbled by it). But He has also done a few things that have blown my mind. I have two specific female friendships that have lost touch over time. I went to college with both of them. One was a friendship from my freshman year, then I transferred to a different college and the other was with me through this duration.

I have reached out faithfully for years to hear nothing in return.

Years.

I have allowed few females into the depths of my heart, especially in my younger life. I’m a bit better at it now.

But these two—something special was given me in them.
Do you know that BOTH of them (independent of each other for they are not friends) reached out to me in the same week? One of them praised God every other word and she was one who didn’t want to know about faith before. Praise God! She found Him!

God is Master of your relationships.
God is Master of your finances and resources.

Is God Master of your heart, mind, soul?
Do you love Him with all of your strength?

Carry Him in your heart today.
He is an adventure all by Himself. He is so full of surprises. He is amazing and invigorating and I am so glad He pursued me when I didn’t know I needed pursuing.

The Lord will sweep you off your feet. He will be a strong shoulder to lean on. He will listen to your every last word—even us females who seem to need to express more of them than men. He is listening to your heart now. He is remembering the things you hold in your heart that you speak out to no one. He is an advocate. He is a refuge. He is a way maker. He is...He is...He is...and by me, I don’t think He could be more adored, but I can’t wait to find out if that’s true. Him...I will continue to pursue wholeheartedly.

No matter what. He loves you more. He’s got good gifts for you—even ones you didn’t ask for. How Beautiful.

~Nicole💕

"'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