Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - How To Live For Jesus.

Deu.6:4-9: How To Live For Jesus.

Love God with your total being and fill your heart with His
words. Teach God's word to your children until it lives in them. Make
God's word your conversation in the home. Make God's word your
conversation outside the home i.e. at work and in the community. Make God's
word your last conversation of the day when you retire. Make God's
word your first conversation of the day when you get up in the
morning. Consider God's word in every action you undertake. Consider
God's word in every thought you have. Remember God's word every time
someone enters or leaves your home. Remember God's word every time you
leave or enter your home. In other words acknowledge God and His word
in every thought, word and deed from the time you get up until the
time you go to bed. Deu 6:5-9 (Gibbs)

CONTEXT

The Greatest Commandment (6:1-25)
Love the LORD
A Call for Wholehearted Commitment

CROSS REFERENCES

Deut. 10:12 (KJV)  And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God
require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways,
and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with all thy soul,

John 14:21 (KJV)  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

2 Cor. 5:14 (KJV)  For the love of Christ constraineth us;
because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

2 Cor. 5:15 (KJV)  And that he died for all, that they which
live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which
died for them, and rose again.

Col. 3:16 (KJV)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in
all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col. 4:6 (KJV)  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and
lean not unto thine own understanding.

Jeremiah 31:33 (KJV)  But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

COMMENTARY

Known as the Shema, Hebrew for "Hear." It has become the Jewish
confession of faith, recited daily by the pious [NIV SB]

This passage provides the central theme of Deuteronomy. It sets
a pattern that helps us relate the Word of God to our daily lives.
We are to love God, think constantly about his commandments, teach
his commandments to our children, and live each day by the
guidelines in his Word. [Life Application SB]

The Hebrews were extremely successful at making religion an
integral part of life. The reason for their success was that religious
education was life-oriented, not information-oriented. They used the
context of daily life to teach about God. The key to teaching your
children to love God is stated simply and clearly in these verses. If you
want your children to follow God, you must make God a part of your
everyday experiences. You must teach your children diligently to see God
in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related.
[Life Application SB]

WHAT IS GOD TEACHING HERE? WHAT DOES IT TEACH ABOUT JESUS?

Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly
behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger
as it is submitted to the test of trial. AH106

APPLICATION: HOW TO LIVE IT

John 15:4 (KJV)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me.

1 Thes. 5:17 (KJV)  Pray without ceasing.

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)  Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy
thoughts shall be established.

Galatians 5:6 (KJV)  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision
availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

James 4:7-10 (KJV)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw nigh to God, and he
will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify
your hearts, ye double minded. [9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:
let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
[10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift
you up.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

2 Cor. 5:15 (KJV)  And that he died for all, that they which
live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which
died for them, and rose again.

SOMETHING TO SHARE

All the kids called him "Grandpa."  He was a plumber with an
eighth-grade education.  But no one was more articulate about Jesus Christ
than Grandpa Craig. Kids from all over spent a lot of time with
Grandpa - eating popcorn in his living room, having Bible studies,
praying, just "shooting the breeze."  No matter where the conversation
wandered, though, Grandpa would always bring it around to Jesus. Whenever
we were talking about school or dating or the future,  Grandpa
would say, "That reminds me of something Jesus said ..." or, "That's
just like when Jesus ..." and he would reveal new insights to us
about Jesus. Grandpa's life was filled with the reality of Jesus'
presence.  On Saturday afternoons, we would sometimes take long walks with
Grandpa.  He would point to the countryside and say, "Now, that's Jesus'
way of showing us how much he loves us.  He made all these things
for us to enjoy." Grandpa saw Jesus in everything around him.  "See
how the sun goes down so faithfully every evening?"  he would ask.
"That show how faithful Jesus is to us.  Just like the sun, he never
lets us down." When anyone wondered how to act toward a new kid in
school, Grandpa would ask, "How would Jesus act if he were in school?"
Problems with parents?  "What would Jesus do in your shoes?"  His advice
was always simple: "Focus on Jesus.  Figure it our from there."
[The Youth Bible; NCV; p.1058]