Read: Deuteronomy 6:1–9
Bible in a Year: Job 3–4; Acts 7:44–60
These commandments that I give to you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Deuteronomy 6:6–7
When our son Xavier was a toddler, we took a family trip to the
Monterey Bay Aquarium. As we entered the building, I pointed to a large
sculpture suspended from the ceiling. “Look. A humpback whale.”
Xavier’s eyes widened. “Enormous,” he said.
My husband turned to me. “How does he know that word?”
“He must have heard us say it.” I shrugged, amazed that our toddler
had soaked up vocabulary we’d never intentionally taught him.
In Deuteronomy 6, God encouraged His people to be intentional about
teaching younger generations to know and obey the Scriptures. As the
Israelites increased their knowledge of God, they and their children
would be more likely to grow in reverence of Him and to enjoy the
rewards that come through knowing Him intimately, loving Him completely,
and following Him obediently (vv. 2–5).
By intentionally saturating our hearts and our minds with Scripture
(v. 6), we will be better prepared to share God’s love and truth with
children during our everyday activities (v. 7). Leading by example, we
can equip and encourage young people to recognize and respect the
authority and relevance of God’s unchanging truth (vv. 8–9).
As God’s words flow naturally from our hearts and out of our mouths, we can leave a strong legacy of faith to be passed down from generation to generation (4:9).
The words we take in determine the words we speak, live by, and pass on to those around us.
© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries
No comments:
Post a Comment