He asks for everything, though.
12 And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord ’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? 14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff–necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. (Deuteronomy 10)
The ironic thing about this relationship I have with God is that when He asks for everything, it doesn’t really feel like I’m giving up anything. What He replaces my stuff with is in no comparison to what I give up. Oh, don’t get me wrong…when He asks for it it seems impossible to hand it over and pry my fingers off of it. Yet, once it’s in His hand, He provides something that I never would have thought of and if I had thought of it, it wouldn’t have seemed possible.
He is a good God. He is a loving Father. He is a benevolent Lord.
Bless His Name with me today.
Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. With EVERYTHING.