Matthew 22:35-38 when Jesus was asked what is the most important thing in life He answered to “love God”. Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. In Deuteronomy, the verse comes directly after the second proclamation of the 10 commandments in the 5th chapter. In its original context the verse served the same purpose Jesus used it for... establishing love towards God as your top priority.It is very common for folks to quickly jump to the second greatest command which is “love towards your fellow human beings”. But think about Jesus' answer... He did not place love toward other people as your top priority He said love for fellow man was only your 2nd priority. Ask for a FREE copy of our ebook The Ten Commandments. Its a great way to begin your personal study of all God's commandments. The 10 commandments give us the broad outline of what it means to love God and love other people. Commandments 1 though 4 provide the essentials of love towards God. Commandments 5-10 provide the essentials of acting out love towards our fellow human beings. Notice the prioritization... love toward God is spelled out first... it is the top priority. Then comes showing love towards other people. These first 4 commands address: 1. How do we think about God2. How do we represent God3. How do we talk about God4. How do we come into His presenceThe 1st Commandment Establishes Right PrioritiesEstablishing and maintaining a positive, lasting, satisfying relationship with God is the primary focus of scripture and the primary focus of the commandments. Exodus 20:3 The supreme being who caused these words to be recorded  is our ideal, He is everything we consider worthy, He is what we aspire to be like. We desire to be in His presence and feel His love towards us. Nothing less is enough. The beginning of right thinking about God is to acknowledge Him as creator of all things. That's how the bible begins in Genesis 1. "Hi, I'm the creator of everything you see around you. I made all this. I made you as well". He wants you to know this and acknowledge it, privately and publicly (Sabbath keeping is a public acknowledgement of the act of creation).He wants you to know that as creator He has power and control over all things, He knows all there is to know, and He cares for you and has plans for you. Isaiah 40:26-31 If we have this outlook and understanding we should trust Him and honor Him. Only the creator can promise you an eternal future and ensure that it comes to pass.The only reliable secure future we have is with our Creator... He is living, thinking, creating, feeling... He is real, and He is the only one. Worshiping the Creation Over GodGod made the planet which supplies our needs, He made our bodies. All are good for what they are designed to accomplish IE. survive until our allotted days are complete. This whole thing we call "life" is really nothing more than a classroom. It is a temporary and passing state designed for the purpose of preparing us for real life... which we don't receive until resurrected unto spirit. Your Creator wants us to graduate from this school and take up a place and position within His family.Who wants to stay in school forever! God wants us to learn, grow and become mature, like a child who becomes an adult, and then moves on to a life of their own! Problem: Some people (many?) fall in love with the temporary, with nature, the creation, the planet, the stars, planets... with our own bodily processes like sex or eating. This exaltation of nature has formed the basis of idolatrous religion in ancient times and in our own time. God drew Abraham and later Israel out of cultures which had messed up priorities. Egypt, Sumeria (Babylon), Hittites, Canaanites.... all of these had religions that worshiped elements of the world around them rather than the one who made their physical environment. On some levels such an approach makes sense. Humans see the wonder in the physical world, the intr