Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7You 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. Deut. 6:4-9 (ESV)
It’s easy to read this passage, which anyone who grew up in church has heard hundreds of time, and think, “Yes, yes, God’s Word is important”, but then carry on with life as usual. But a few weeks ago when I was considering this passage I began to think about what it would be like if I took it more literally. For example, verse six says the Word “shall be on [my] heart” which pretty clearly is referring to memorization. When I was a child I would memorize verses for vacation bible school or Sunday School or the afterschool Bible club I went to in elementary school. Guess what? I still remember some of those verses 30 years later.
There is something unique about memorizing scripture. It’s nice to be able to flip open my bible and find a passage I’m thinking about, but when I can recall a verse or passage by memory it’s much more useful. I’m not always in a place where I can open my bible, but I can remember a memorized verse anywhere and anytime. But more importantly, when we have committed a verse to memory, it is in our heart. I’m convinced that we don’t even have to consciously recall the verse for it to affect our decisions and actions during the day. When we internalized God’s Word, we will begin living out God’s Word.
My next thought is about verse 7, which tells us to teach God’s Word to our children and to talk about it in our home, on the road, when we get up, when we lie down…pretty much all the time. I don’t think this means, “Teach children biblical ‘principles.’” Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God, not by “Christian principles.” I think as a parent I need to make sure my children and hearing and reading and memorizing God’s Word. Reading the bible, not bible story books. Hearing the bible, not just listening to a sermon in the car. Memorizing bible, not just learning praise songs. There is nothing wrong (and lots right) with praise songs, sermons and teaching Christian principles. But these things aren’t an adequate substitute for God’s Word.
Verse 9 talks about writing God’s Word on the posts of my house and on the gates. Again, why not take this literally? Instead of putting up art, why not have God’s Word around for to read? Why not post a verse on the doorway to the garage so the last thing seen before leaving the house is God’s Word? Think that might be a reminder to talk about God’s Word “on the way” as verse 7 directed?
So here are my efforts to be a doer and not a hearer only of the Word:
1. I’m going to start memorizing one verse a week. Given my lack of discipline in many things, this is going to be difficult. If anyone wants to start doing the same thing and try to keep each other accountable, let me know. This type of thing works better with a “workout partner” so to speak.
Incidentally, when I memorize verses, I always memorize the KJV for three reasons. First, though I’m not a KJV-only person, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that it’s one of, if not the most, reliable translation around. There is an internal consistency to the KJV that I don’t see in other versions. Second, the verses I memorized as a child were in the KJV, so I can build on those in the same version. Third, when discussing scripture with others online or in person, I tend to use the KJV because pretty much everyone agrees it’s a good translation, and the discussion doesn’t get derailed if someone thinks the KJV is the “only” accurate translation. I’ve never met an ESV-only or NIV-only person, so the KJV is essentially a common language for English speaking people.
2. I’m making a deliberate effort to teach the bible to my children. My son is 7 and we have begun reading one chapter in the bible every day. On school days, I’ve had him read aloud in the car to me and my daughter (3) on his way to school. I’ll stop him at various times to explain a passage or to ask questions to make sure he understands. We’re halfway through the Gospel of Mark and I can see a positive difference in his behavior and attitude. Violet, my daughter, has started bringing her bible story book in the car and asking where she’s supposed to “read,” lol. On Saturday we were leaving the house and Micah said, “Dad, don’t forget your bible.” Listening to him read the bible in the morning is one of the highlights of my day now.
Micah has also been asking to start receiving an allowance. I want him to “earn” the allowance, but I don’t feel he should be “rewarded” for simply following the minimal rules we give him around the house. So I have let him start earning money by memorizing verses and by hand copying passages of the bible. He earned $3 last weekend copying Psalm 20 and Psalm 25, and he’s memorized a couple of verses for $1 each. He’s learning the bible and improving his reading/handwriting skills at the same time. Really great!
3. I’ve started posting scripture around the house and in my office and car. I put this up in my office last week:
When I get to my office in the morning, I read it. During the day, I see it. Soon I’ll have it committed to memory and I’ll change it.
Anyone else have any ideas for keeping God’s Word with us during the day?
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