Press On

Dear Bible-Reading Companions,

Why spend our time reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing God’s Word? In the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses warned the Israelites that their only hope of prospering in the land God was giving them was to fully and care-fully keep all the commands God was giving them. If they would, Moses said, the people around them would not only marvel how blessed they were, but would also give glory to God. So here’s what Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.”

Moses instructed the people to make God’s Word a part of every part of their life. First, God’s commands should be internalized—they should be in our hearts. There’s no way to internalize God’s Word without regular doses of it or times of reflecting and meditating on it. Second, God’s Word should be the foundation of what we pass on to our children and grandchildren. They must be impressed upon the next generation. Third, they should fill our conversations. Moses offers four examples of times when God’s Word makes for good conversation—1) sitting at home 2) walking on the road 3) lying down to go to bed 4) and waking up. That pretty much covers every part of our lives—the times we spend at home during the day, the times when we travel or run errands, and the routines we establish when we get up and go to bed. Finally, Moses instructs the people to leave visual reminders of God’s Word all around their homes so that they will be reminded of God’s commands.

I want to encourage you to press on in your quest to fill your life with God’s Word. It will bear fruit not only in your life, but in the life of your family.

Happy Reading!

Pastor Jared