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40 DAYS OF LENT: DAY #12
WORD OF TODAY: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (ESV)
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
THOUGHTS ON THE WORD:
These words come just after what is commonly known as the summary of the law. In the summary, God teaches us that to love Him we must truly surrender to Him. And this surrender must be in every part of our lives. The command to love God with all of our being shall be on our hearts. Yet, we so often place other things at the forefront of our hearts. What is upon your heart? Not only are we to have God’s commands upon our hearts, we are to teach them to our children. What are we teaching our children?
We are to talk of the command to love God with all of our being in every moment and in every way, be it sitting in our homes or walking to wherever we might be traveling, when we rest our heads upon our pillows at night, and when we welcome the new day with a yawn and a stretch. Consider today how many times you catch yourself being distracted by the worldly moments and situations and lose a handle on loving God.
God says His command should be bound upon our hand (as a sign, a reminder), and as frontlets between your eyes (who can ignore that!). Is this the display of your heart, that even the hair on your head brings to mind the love of God? Finally, the command of God shall be the markers upon your dwelling place, and as a reminder as you enter and exit your home. What marks your home, your gates, your heart? Commit today to give God your undivided love and attention and intentions. Try stopping at the top and bottom of each hour today and pray for the eyes to see God’s love, ears to hear God’s love, a mind to know God’s love, a will to do God’s love, and a heart bound by God’s love.