Disciples love God with all their Strength
Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
The original Hebrew for strength in this verse is me’od (מְאֹד) and goes beyond physical muscle; it implies “much-ness” or “totality.” So, love God with everything you have – all your resources, your entire being, and every ounce of your energy.
The Shema
Meod / Strength
What does it mean to love God with all of your strength? In this final installment of our Shema series, we explore the Hebrew word me’od, which we translate as “strength” in the Shema. But this is only one of the many ways this rich Hebrew word can be translated.
https://bibleproject.com/videos/meod-strength/
Your Biblical Identity in Christ
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
1 Kings 19:8
Strengthened by that food, [Elijah] traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
In Christ, who gives us strength, we can love God with all our strength.
Philippians 4:13 is an oft-quoted part of the Bible found on T-shirts, bumper stickers, and plaques: "I can do all this through him who gives me strength".
If you are going to love God with all your strength, it is good to know that He will supply what you need to get it done. In 1 Kings 19, we see God use an angel and two meals to strengthen Elijah for a 40-day journey. After that, Elijah is shown God’s strength in a unique way. The Lord brought wind, earthquake and fire, but God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. After all of that, Elijah experienced God in what is described as a gentle whisper – a silent strength.
Prayer for the Day
Father God, as you strengthened Elijah, also strengthen me. As you used Elijah – a man like us (James 5:17) – so also use me. May I do all things through You while You give me strength. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.