Thursday, March 24
“These words of mine…”
Scripture: Deuteronomy 11-12, Proverbs 7, Matthew 24
Deuteronomy 11:18–22 “Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates, 21 so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 22 For if you carefully observe every one of these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, and remain faithful to him—“
Observation
Notice what the Lord tells Israel to do with “these words of mine.”
- Imprint them on your hearts and minds. Memorize them!
- Bind them as a sign on your hands, let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Make reminders that you can wear.
- Teach them to your children. Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, take note!
- Talk about them all day long—at home, on the road, lying down, getting up. God’s words should be part of our daily conversations. “What are you learning from God’s word today?”
- Write them where they can be seen daily—on the doorposts of your house and the city gates. More reminders!
- Carefully observe them. This is the end result: obedience.
Application
When I opened my Bible this morning, I remembered that “man doesn’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3). I remembered the importance of this time to feast on God’s word, to treat it as I would my daily meals that sustain my body—I’m feeding my spirit, my relationship with God. So these verses in Deuteronomy 11 jumped out at me.
God attaches great promises to those who pay attention to what He says and put it into practice. I’ve got a few passages that I’m memorizing and repeating multiple times during the day, gaining mastery of them (and letting them master me), and making them my prayer.
Do whatever you can to elevate God’s words in your life, to make them part of you: imprint them, bind them, teach them, talk about them, write them, observe them.
Deuteronomy 32:46–47 And he said to them, “Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this law carefully. 47 For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your words. Help me to take them to heart and live by them!