Be Passionate
Deuteronomy 6:4-14; 7:6-9
I owe a tremendous debt to the people of Northside Baptist Church in Woodruff. It was there that I attended Sunbeams, RAs, Training Union, Vacation Bible School, and any other youth activity that was offered. If the lights were on, we were there. We always answered the roll with a Bible verse. When I went to college, Bible classes were a breeze because of all those years in Sunday school with dedicated teachers. These wonderful people helped lay a foundation that has sustained me and provided a springboard for my spiritual growth.
That was the message that Moses was striving to teach the Israelites. The laws of God should be in your hearts and on your lips at all times. Talk to your children about them. Discuss them as you walk along the roadside. Put them on your doorposts so that you will be reminded every time you enter your house.
Not only did Moses want them to be immersed in the law, he wanted them to remember who they were and what God had done for them. He reminded them of how God had brought them out of bondage and made a covenant with their forebears. Moses wanted the people to be passionate about following God. He admonished them to talk about God and what he had done day and night. He desperately wanted them to understand that their God is the only God and that they did not need all of these surrogate gods that their enemies worshiped.
Moses reminded them that they were God’s chosen people – not through any acts of their own, but because God loved them. This was what he wanted them to keep uppermost in their minds and hearts. They were not chosen because they were bigger, better, stronger, or more deserving than any other nation. God chose them because of his undying love for them.
Today we pride ourselves on being self-reliant. We hear it constantly. “I don’t need help from anyone. I can make it on my own.”
That is no truer today than it was when Moses spoke to the children of Israel. None of us ever make it on our own. We stand on the shoulders of all those who have gone before us, and we rely on the God of the universe for the very air we breathe. Moses made it very clear that it wasn’t their own doing that had brought them to this point. Neither are we able to earn our salvation. It is a gift because God loves us.
I do not have any Scripture posted on my doorposts, but several years ago I was privileged to meet Michael Podesta, the calligraphy artist. He does absolutely beautiful renderings of Scripture verses and other quotations. His work and his subject matter are inspiring. Moses was right: The Scripture verses provide great inspiration and remind me of my purpose as I enter my study each day.
Carnell– Lessons in the ETB series for the winter quarter are being written by Mitch Carnell, member of First Baptist Church, Charleston.