To Encourage You

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

The Word of God should always be front and center in the life of any believer. This is particularly critical for believers who are parents and grandparents.  As God tells us in the passage above, His Word is to be in our heart.  It’s something we should read, study, meditate on, and memorize, for that’s the only way it will ever get there.  However, more than that, it is something that we should be talking about in our homes – all the time. Some people have the view that if they attend church with their family and make sure their children are involved in Sunday School or a church youth group then they’ve largely fulfilled their responsibilities for religious instruction as God commands. However, this is not the primary way that God has instructed us along these lines. No, He has plainly commanded us that our teaching is to first and foremost be in our homes.  We should constantly be looking for opportunities to shine the light of God’s Truth on the everyday circumstances of life.

But how often do we do this?  How often do we talk about God’s Word and God’s will to our children or grandchildren throughout the day?  Is it a priority for us? Are we diligent in studying God’s Word for ourselves so that we are prepared to teach it?   Are we praying for God to open our eyes as to when and how to share His truth with our children and grandchildren?  Is it the first thing we seek to talk to them about in the morning and the last thing we strive to leave with them at night?  Well, if not, that’s the way it should be, for that’s what God has told us to do. 

You see, it’s not our own opinions that are the best guide for our children in the way they should go.  It’s not how we view the world that will matter, in the end.  Rather, it’s how God views this world that matters most, for He’s the One Who created it, and it’s His Truth that’s absolutely critical for them to hear.  But to do this, we must be intentional about it.  It won’t happen by accident.  If we are not diligent about this as God’s Word instructs, we will wake up one day and realize we’ve missed the mark with one of the most important responsibilities of our life. 

May God help us to be diligent in knowing and sharing God’s Word within the four walls of our home – all the time, day and night, in every opportunity the Lord gives us.  And as with anything like this that is so clearly God’s will for us, He will surely answer any prayer for daily help in fulfilling this command.