Let’s continue today looking at what Scriptures teaches us as parents about our role in the Spiritual rearing of our children. If you are joining us for the first time, you can check out the other post’s in this series of devotionals from 1 Samuel here, here, here, here, here, and here…..We’ll pick up today where we left off last time in Deuteronomy chapter 6 looking at verse 6.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your
heart.”
Deuteronomy 6:6, NKJV
God’s Words, His commands, precepts, statutes and ordinances are to be engraved upon our hearts. The only way for this to happen is for us to be actively and purposefully memorizing His Word.
“Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against
You.”
Psalm 119:11, NKJV
“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my
meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my
enemies; for they are ever with me.”
Psalm 119:97-98, NKJV
You and I are to have God’s Words ever before us, whether physically, with our Bible always open, or intellectually, with His Word in the forefront of our minds because we have committed it to memory. We are to do this so that our obedience becomes an obedience based on love and devotion to Him and not out of legalism.
In verse 7 we find our third command (the first two commands are found in verse 1 and verse 5): “You shall teach them diligently to your children…” I was curious to know what the word diligent meant. I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary and this is what I found: diligent- preserving and careful in work; hard-working, done with careful steady effort, painstaking, busy. We should be hard at work carefully teaching our children about the Lord. Every day, all day, everywhere we go and in everything we do, God should be the center. BUT, in order for us to teach them about the Lord, we must know and be learning about Him ourselves. The Lord showed me a verse several years ago in the book of Ezra that I have committed to memory. He clearly showed me the progression of what His teachings to me should look like in my life.
In verse 7 we find our third command (the first two commands are found in verse 1 and verse 5): “You shall teach them diligently to your children…” I was curious to know what the word diligent meant. I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary and this is what I found: diligent- preserving and careful in work; hard-working, done with careful steady effort, painstaking, busy. We should be hard at work carefully teaching our children about the Lord. Every day, all day, everywhere we go and in everything we do, God should be the center. BUT, in order for us to teach them about the Lord, we must know and be learning about Him ourselves. The Lord showed me a verse several years ago in the book of Ezra that I have committed to memory. He clearly showed me the progression of what His teachings to me should look like in my life.
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and
to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Ezra 7:10, NKJV
Here’s the progression God showed me; first, I am to seek God’s Law- I am to be in His Word studying, meditating, and memorizing Scriptures; second, I am to be fleshing out what He is teaching me- whatever it is God is telling me to do, I am to be completely obedient to Him; lastly, after the first two things have been done, then I am to teach others what He has taught me, because it’s only at this point that I have something to teach. Do you see the progression of things? Study- practice- then teach!
Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
*Are you hiding God’s Word in your heart? What verses are you memorizing right now? Is there an area in your life where you are struggling right now? Find verses in God’s Word that speak to those areas and begin committing them to memory.
For example:
Struggling with your speech- Psalm 19:14 and 1 Peter 3:10-11
Struggling with your thoughts- Philippians 4:8 and Romans 12:2
Struggling with anger- Romans 8:8 and Psalm 4:4
Struggling with try to please others- Galatians 1:10 and 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Need a little comfort- 2 Corinthians 1:4 and Hebrews 4:16
Need a little wisdom- Proverbs 2:3-5 and James 1:5; 3:17
I can assure you that whatever it is you are dealing with right now, God’s Word can and will speak to it if you will take the time to dig in and listen to what He says to you.
*Are you diligently teaching your children about the Lord? Every day, all day, everywhere you go and in everything you do, is God smack dab in the center?
*Are you studying God’s Word for yourself? Are you daily in the Word digging for those golden nuggets of truth? Are you being obedient to what God is telling you? Is He showing you areas in your life that need a little cleaning and tidying up? Are you cleaning up and getting rid of those things in your life that are unholy? Are you spilling forth upon others what God has filled you up with?
Precious Father, thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and Your grace is sufficient for this moment. Show me those areas in my life that need to be cleaned up and please give me the strength to get rid of those things/ activities that are unholy. Fill me up so that I can spill forth your love, grace, and mercy upon those around me. I commit to You today to get into Your Word, flesh out what You teach me and then purposefully teach my children about You. I love You and my desire is to please You in all that I do. Amen.
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