Heart and soul

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Deuteronomy 10:12

Heart and soul – Four verbs are all that God requires.  Fear, walk, love and serve.  But there is a quality that goes along with this core.  It is the quality of total consumption.  God is not interested in any partial commitments.  He wants it all!  This is described in Hebrew by the words “heart and soul”. 

Lev is the “richest biblical term for the totality of man’s inner or immaterial nature” (Anchor Bible).  This includes the emotions, the will and mind.  God wants your feelings, your choices and your thinking.  If you are worshipping Him, following Him, loving Him and serving Him, everything that you are will be wrapped up in Him.  It’s not just the Hollywood emotional version of love.  It is what you think about, what you choose to do and how you feel.

Nephesh is the word for “soul”.   If “heart” covers the emotions, will and mind, what could be left for this word?  Maybe we can find out if we look deeper.  Nefesh comes from the common Hebrew word for breath.  It is used in the verse that says God breathed life into Man.  There are many nuances to this word but perhaps this one will help us see just how encompassing God’s request is.  God’s breath in us gives us life itself.  God’s request is His desire for us to return that gift of life to its creator.  It is simply the acknowledgement of His right to our lives.  He made us.  We belong to Him.  But God doesn’t demand that we return our existence to its Creator.  He asks.  “Remember Who made you and offer yourselves to your Creator.”

If you thought “fear, walk, love and serve” were too difficult, just remember this:  God made you to do exactly what He asks of you.  You were designed to fear, walk, love and serve.  Be yourself!