A Final Word

In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah prays fervently on behalf of the children of Israel and himself for the sins that have separated them from God.

He cites the instructions that God gave Moses: "...if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name."

"...if you...obey my commands..."

We've seen what God's commands are. I like to think they serve as barometer of sorts of how we're doing in the love department.

If we love Him, we desire to please Him by following the road map of how He originally created us.

Think of a child showing love to his parents. Can he really love his parents if his intent in life is to dishonor them and ignore everything they've ever taught him–things that are beneficial to his personal development?

Our relationship with God is evidently reciprocal, according to Scripture. And showing love to God includes showing love to our neighbors, the other children He created for us to walk this life with.

Ultimately, following God's commands means sacrificing our own selfish wants and desires, and as Jesus taught us, there is no greater love than sacrificing oneself for one's brother.