Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Now known as the Shema, Hebrew for hear, these verses 4-9 are recited daily by devout Jews. Their origin was Moses' reminder to God's people to acknowledge that the Lord God they serve is One God. Unlike the pagan peoples around them and inhabiting the Promised Land now close at hand who worshiped gods of all kinds and sizes with all kinds of supposed powers and territories, God's people needed to recognize that their God is One God, One Lord, incomparable and unsurpassed, supreme and unequaled. The message is a strong reminder for us today, as well. Our Lord is One God. He doesn't compete with other gods. He doesn't have any counterparts, anywhere. No adversaries or contenders rise to His level. No forces of darkness are even in the same category. None, no one or no thing, can even challenge Him. Today, we need to listen to Moses' call to acknowledge the Lord, to focus on His absolute uniqueness and unparalleled nature and being. Why? By standing on this truth, we have no cause for fear or worry or concern and, instead of being unduly distracted and preoccupied with the temporal, with the challenges in our lives, our focus is drawn to Him alone Who is God, in Whom is our comfort and provision and hope and peace. We know that all things, both present and eternal, are under the rule, under the sovereign governance, of our God.)
