So be very careful to love the Lord your God.
Joshua 23:11 NLT
Careful is one of those words whose meaning has been watered down through overuse. The term ‘full of care’ carries more weight and yet it means exactly the same – ‘careful’ is just shorthand.
The command ‘be very careful’ is really stressing the need for care. It’s a command which I really need to take to heart and really need to work on. I can make up my mind in the morning to love the Lord all day but without concentrating and taking great care to do so, the other cares of my life start to edge in and push God out.
The verse also starts with the word ‘so’ showing that there is a reason to be very careful. I have so many reasons, so many blessings and I should call them to mind all the time.
I really need to love God more – more often and more deeply.