Exodus 19:5-6

[The Lord said:] “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.”

When God spoke these words to Moses it was exactly two months since the people had left Egypt. They were getting used to their new life in the desert and God wanted to establish the basis of their relationship with him. He took Moses up Mount Sinai to give him the foundation principles upon which their new life should be lived, and at the heart of it was the word ‘covenant’. God would care and provide for His people but, at the same time, they needed to understand their own responsibilities before God. These would be expressed not only in the ten commandments, which God would soon give to Moses, but also in a large number of other regulations.

The whole Bible is based on the principle of covenant, and that is the invitation which God gives to us today. He promises us His salvation, His guidance and His protection, but He looks to us to be obedient to him. At the heart of this are commands which are the same in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus summed them up in this way: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

A one-way relationship simply doesn’t work. It’s not a relationship in any meaningful sense. Our relationship with our spouse, children, society or any organisation needs to be two-way, so we shouldn’t be surprised that when God makes generous promises to us, He looks to us to take responsibility and to live by His rules. Let’s step into today thanking God for His love for us and making sure we live in a way that passes on His love.

Question

What will it mean for you to pass on God’s love today?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank You for Your perfect love for me. Give me your strength and guidance as I seek to share love with those around me today. Amen