“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.” – Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Each and every day, we are being influenced by our surroundings. There are messages all around us that influence how we think and how we behave. TV, radio, newspapers, social media, blogs and water cooler talk are just a few examples of the influences that are present and influencing our judgements and beliefs.
This is not a new phenomenon. Although technology did not exist several thousand years ago, people still shared stories that influenced those around them.
After God delivered the Hebrew people from captivity in Egypt, He began to lead them to a new home in the promised land. God did not simply want to relocate the people, God also wanted to establish a new nation with the purpose of representing God on earth. To create this new nation that reflected the values of heaven, God gave the law. These were the rules that were to govern the people’s actions and inform their hearts. They were to, “love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” (Deuteronomy 11:1)
I believe that God knew this would be a difficult task for the Hebrew people. That is why they were encouraged to put the story of their faith front and center.
As people of faith today, we want to, “Love God and keep his charge.” This often proves difficult. Part of the struggle is remembering the story that defines us as a people of faith. This is why God directs us to study and meditate on His word. It is necessary to combat the external forces and personal struggles that each of us deal with daily. If we focus our attention on God’s loving work in the world, and God’s will for us, we will find that we also become a people that bring God’s kingdom to earth, “just as it is in heaven.”
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
