“This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.” (De 26:16 AV)
There are several ways by which we can obey the commandments of the LORD. We can obey Him out of fear of consequences. We can obey Him because it is the logical thing to do. How we feel about obedience in general and the commandments specifically do go a long way in consistently walking in obedience and faith. With all thy heart and with all thy soul goes beyond the mere will. The will can be broken. The will can comply. The will can obey. But that does not mean the heart and soul are involved. The heart speaks to zeal and enthusiasm while the soul speaks to identity. The heart sees the statutes and judgments as something wholly desired and pursued. The soul sees them as the definition of who and what they are. Without the heart and soul involved, obedience becomes a duty that soon becomes sparse. If our hearts and souls are not in it, commitment will only last as long as we can tolerate the consequences of disobedience. Without the heart and soul, obedience does not last long.
Something that strikes me as interesting is when I watch a professional sporting event and the coach or the manager is dressed head to toe in the team’s colors and logo. This strikes me as odd because many of those coaches have coached for other teams. I have to ask myself if I would do the same thing. These men and women are all in. When they get to a new city and coach a new team, it is like they have been there their entire career. This loyalty and enthusiasm trickle down to the team. Their heart and soul are one hundred percent vested in the team. It is who they are. It is their life and soul. Whatever the team requires of them, they do. There is no question of commitment. There are no split loyalties. If the coach requires extra reps or more time in the film room, they will do it. Why? Most are vested in the identity which they all share. Every now and again, you witness a professional athlete who is in it for the paycheck or fame. They are the ones who are quick to criticize those of their own team if they lose a game or championship. Their heart and soul are not in it. Their wills may be. But their heart and souls are far from it.
Moses gives great advice here. It is at the foot of Mounts Ebal and Gerazim. The mountains of blessing and cursing. The advice is to get the whole person involved in obedience. Make it mean something. Embrace it. Make it who you are! Obey the LORD. Trust the LORD. Don’t allow the adversary to rob you of the joy that comes with wholly following the LORD. Make it your battle cry. Pursue it with rigor. When the LORD tells you to do something, say “yes, Sir” with a snap of the wrist and a spring in your step. Without our hearts and souls vested in obedience, compliance will be temporary and a drudge. It was seen as nothing more than obligatory commandments designed to control and manipulate. Without our hearts and souls vested in the statutes and judgments, they are simply things that have to be done lest we reap the consequences. Better it is to passionately want to comply than be forced to. The whole heart and the whole soul are the keys to consistent godly living.
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