“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
-Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Americans love mugs, shirts, signs, and bumper stickers that sport catchy phrases, inspirational quotes, and empowering Bible verses. One popular verse that can be found on a glittered covered notebook is Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
This verse, that Jesus himself quoted, which we love to engrave on mugs is a part of a book that was designed to prompt remembrance and faithfulness.
A Call to Remember
Deuteronomy was written to a new generation of God’s people.
Moses reminded the people of what God had done, how their father’s had responded, and what God was calling them to next.
Before giving any commands, Moses first reminded them why the commands mattered:
“The LORD our God,
the LORD is one.”
The people needed to understand that these commands were important because of the One who gave them.
The LORD is One
The prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of who God is:
- God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
- He gives life and breath to everything.
- He shares His glory with no one.
- There were no gods before Him and none will come after.
- There is no Savior besides God — He alone is Redeemer, Holy One, Creator, and King.
- (Isaiah 42:5–9; 43:10–15)
God is the first and the last, the only Rock, the One who knows the future and accomplishes His will.
(Isaiah 44:6–8; 46:8–10)
There is truly no one like our God.
The LORD is Personal
Before giving commands for faithfulness, Moses reminded the people that God is personal.
He heard the cries of His people in Egypt and rescued them from slavery.
(Deuteronomy 5:6; Exodus 3:7–10)
Yahweh — the eternal, self-existent One — desired to be known and remembered by His people.
He came down to be with them, to bring light into their darkness, to set them free from captivity, and to walk with them in relationship.
(Luke 1:67–79; 4:16–21; John 1:1–18)
Knowing God Leads to Loving God
If we’re going to love God with all our heart, soul, and might, we must first get to know Him.
We need to remember who He is and what He’s done.
His judgments reveal that He is righteous and just.
His commands become the theme song of our lives, but that only happens when we know them — and that takes practice.
Remembrance takes intentionality.
The Law: A Path to Freedom
We love inspirational verses because they lift our spirits.
But we often resist rules because they reveal our sinful nature and our lack of control.
Yet God didn’t give His commands to chain His people down.
He gave them as an avenue to freedom.
The law shows that God is holy — and that we are not.
We can’t earn a relationship with Him by striving or perfection.
But when we truly know our holy God, His commands no longer feel oppressive.
They become life-giving, shaping our hearts to remember and obey.
The Discipline of Remembrance
It’s vital that we remember that God alone brought us out of slavery to sin.
(Deuteronomy 6:12; Ephesians 2:1–10; Colossians 3:5–10)
When we practice remembrance, it leads us to reverence, worship, and faithfulness.
Let’s be people who not only quote the verse on our coffee mugs —
but live out the love it calls us to.
