When we really love someone, it shows in the way we treat them. We want to spend time with them, listen to them, and do things that make them happy. We don’t have to force ourselves to care about them. It comes naturally because they’re important to us.
Our relationship with God should be something like that too. Not just something we think about on Shabbat or when we need help, but a real part of our everyday lives. We can talk to Him, thank Him, ask for His guidance, and include Him in the things we’re doing.
There’s a beautiful Hebrew expression in Psalm 9:1 that speaks about this kind of relationship with God.
B’chol Libi (בְּכָל־לִבִּי, pronounced beh-KHOL lee-BEE) means “With All My Heart.” The Hebrew word lev (לֵב) means “heart,” and libi (לִבִּי) means “my heart.” So B’chol Libi literally means “with all my heart.” But in Hebrew, the heart represents more than just our feelings. It also includes our thoughts, our decisions, and what matters most to us. When David speaks about giving thanks to God with all his heart, he means it sincerely, with everything that’s in him.
David writes in Psalm 9:1:
“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 9:1
David had plenty of difficulties in his life, but he also had a genuine love for God. He remembered what the Lord had done for him, and he wanted others to know about His goodness.
Many years later, Yeshua spoke about this same wholehearted love when someone asked Him which commandment was the most important. Quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, He answered that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
And that’s something worth thinking about. Loving God isn’t only about the words we say when we pray or the songs we sing during worship. It’s also about the way we live, the decisions we make, and how we treat the people around us.
We won’t always get everything right, and God knows that. But we can keep learning to love Him better, one day at a time. Sometimes that begins with something as simple as thanking Him in the morning, spending a few minutes reading His Word, or choosing to show kindness when it would be easier not to.
This week, let’s remember these words: B’chol Libi — With All My Heart. Let them be a reminder to make room for God in our daily lives and to love Him not only with our words, but also with the way we live.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and for wanting a relationship with us. Help us to love You with all our hearts, not just through our words, but through the way we live each day. Teach us to listen to You, follow Your ways, and share Your love with the people around us. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.