How do we remember all of these laws and commandments so that we can obey them? We need to get them to change us. This devotion looks at getting God’s laws and commandments to our heart level.
Nuggets
- God’s Word is supposed to be a part of us.
- His laws and commandments are supposed to affect our character or our core – our heart level.
- We are to constantly be in teacher mode as we have to teach by example.
- If we are to engrave God’s laws and commandments on our hearts, we internalize them, and they change us.
- We remember better when we write things down.
- Not only are we to obey the laws and commandments in our own homes, but they are also to be the laws of our cities.
When we think about obeying God’s laws and commandments, that mean we have to actually live them. We do that by bringing them into our hearts – bringing it down to heart level.
Engraved on Our Hearts
“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart” (Deut. 6: 6 CSB)
I know. We’ve talked about our hearts a lot lately. We talked about the greatest commandment before in How Do We Love God?. Depending on which book you read, it is love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.
We’ve talked in Peace, Mercy, and Love about God’s peace, mercy and love is at our center. Our center is considered our hearts. That is our foundation.
Also, we’ve talked in The Fullness of God’s Love about how Jesus is the Word (Jn. 1: 1) that we are to hide in our hearts (Ps. 119: 11). Jesus is a major part of that foundation.
In Have We Lost Our First Love?, we talked about how we have to open our hearts to allow Jesus to take full residence within them. We lose our first love when we either don’t allow Him full control or we kick Him out after a while.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
In this verse, we are told that God’s Word is supposed to be a part of us. We aren’t supposed to leave the Bible on the shelf and not read it. But then, we are supposed to do more than just read it.
God’s laws and commandments are supposed to affect our character or our core – bringing it down to our heart level. They are to change us until we are more like Him. They are to make us holy and righteous.
Yes, words can do that when they come from God. How?
God’s Word leads to salvation. “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life” (Jn. 5: 24 CSB).
So, we have to hear God’s Word, read it, believe it, and let it change us. We have to choose it.
Listen to what Adeney said about it. “Our religion must not be a mere matter of taste, of sentiment, and of philosophic speculation. It must be regarded as obedience to the will of our supreme Lord and Master.”
If we choose not to believe — or make the choice by not making the choice — we will pay the consequences of our sins.
But it isn’t a once and done choice. Having God’s Word engraved on our hearts is only the beginning. It has to permeate our lives.
Permeating Our Homes
“Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6: 7 CSB)
We just talked about teaching in How Did Moses Say Goodbye?. We talked about the reasons we should teach our children – and others.
We reviewed what we said in the When We Give Up on God series. We are expected to mature enough in our relationship with God so that we could teach others – not just children. We need to learn enough so that we can make disciples of others.
To read a devotion in the When We Give Up on God series, click on the appropriate button below.
So, we are going to concentrate on the last part of the verse. What I get out of that is we are to constantly be in teacher mode. To me, that means our heart level has to be ready to teach by example.
Think about it. If we are to engrave God’s laws and commandments on our hearts, we internalize them, and they change us. So, when we others watch us, we are teaching by example.
We are witnessing as people see us living our lives. Don’t get me wrong. We need to be doing more than that when we witness, but our lifestyles are also a witness.
Witnessing begins at home with our family. They see us studying God’s Word. Not just reading – studying. They see us praying. They see our faithful attendance. They see how we treat others – as Jesus would.
I like what Beecher said. He wrote, “Like produces like.” It amazes me sometimes how like me Adam is. My nut didn’t fall far from my mom’s tree.
Yes, children can be the exact opposite of their parents. Children raised in a horrible situation can use that situation as a catapult to a better life in adulthood. Children raised in a Christian household can follow the worldview, instead.
Where I was going with this was “Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22: 6 CSB). Teaching our family – especially when they are young – is important. They not only hear our words, but they also see our hearts.
Use Props
“Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates” (Deut. 6: 8-9 CSB)
Yep, back to remember. God wants us to remember His laws and commandments. He wants us to remember how He has provided for us in past trials.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
God is also very fine with us using crutches to help us remember. No, I don’t know if God really is literal here with the binding and the writing. We know He can be symbolic.
We do need to put this into context a little. During Moses’ time, they didn’t have books. They had stone tablets and scrolls which stayed with the priests. The average Tom, Sally, and Elaine couldn’t read them if they had them.
Tom, Sally, and Elaine had to make do with memorizing. Taking nuggets of scripture and keeping it with them would be very helpful.
Today, we may have other things. Remember my Warrior Princess bracelet? That is one of my props.
We’ve got good props these days. We have Bibles in a variety of translations. We have the internet to find devotions and other resources. We can have verses sent to our emails on a daily basis.
I liked two things Moses had to say. “Write them …” (Deut. 6: 9 CSB). I liked the writing part. We remember better when we write things down. That is why we take notes in school.
Moses had two interesting suggestions as to where to write them. “… on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates” (Deut. 6: 9 CSB). Not only are we to obey the laws and commandments in our own homes, but they are also to be the laws of our cities.
Making the Connections
Why all of the repetition? Well, the Wilderness Wanderers didn’t have it written down. If they were going to remember God’s laws and commandments, they had to hear it again and again.
Yes, we are lucky because we have it written down. But do we take it to heart level? Or do we just keep it surface level?
If obedience to God’s laws is going to get to our heart levels, we have to open our hearts and accept it all the way in us so that it changes us. Yes, that means repetition so it will get through our hard heads and hard hearts.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to search for and seek God until we do have it at heart level.
- Until we believe with all our hearts that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer and God is our Sovereign Lord.
- Until we are living God’s laws and commandments.
Moses knew the Wilderness Wanderers needed the repetition. We do, too.
Father God. We admit our sins, believe that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, and confess You as our Sovereign Lord. Lord, we will write Your words on our hearts. More than that, we will live out Your laws and commandments. Forgive us when we fail to do that. Remind us again and again until we imitate You. Amen.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17 NLT).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3 ESV).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16 ESV).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11 NLT).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11 NLT).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
What do you think?
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