Today’s Reading, Deuteronomy 11-13
Focal Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:18 ““Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads.”
Tattoos are all the rage in our society. Almost everywhere you go you will find people with not just one but numerous on their bodies. I know of several men and women who have their entire arms covered. Some even have their entire legs covered in tattoos. I want to make clear, that I am not advocating that people should not have tattoos. I can’t find anywhere in the New Testament that forbids this practice or suggests it is sinful. The point of the illustration is that people are convinced that a drawing or a picture should be imprinted on their bodies for life. However, the word of the Lord is not given the same priority to be on their hearts and mind.
In today’s reading the Lord tells Moses to imprint the words he spoke to him on his mind and his heart. He is to bind the words as a sign on his hands. It is to be a symbol on his forehead. God is making it clear that his words are important. He is also making it clear that everyone they would come in contact with them as a people would also know how important the word of the Lord is to his followers.
So what should believers do with this information. The answer is simple but also difficult. It means we should be people of the book. It means that the Bible should be a priority in our homes. It also means that the Bible should be preached faithfully and powerfully in corporate worship. I have been around places that emphasize the Bible as a priority. These places weave the scriptures into everything that they do during worship. The word is the priority during prayer time. It is the focal point during music. This dynamic fundamentally changes the culture of homes and churches.
The challenge that we have as believers is to not let culture or others deter us from imprinting the word on our hearts and our mind. I have seen well meaning people make the Bible a secondary issue instead of a primary issue. This is done when Bible study is put as secondary in the culture of families and churches. How is that done? When sports become more important than the Bible. I actually had people tell me a few years ago that I take the Bible to seriously. This did not come from lost people but from church people.
I pray that I will continue to have his word written on my heart and my mind in a way that makes others uncomfortable. What about you? How important is his word in your life? Are you willing to tattoo your body but neglect your heart and mind for the word of the Lord? The evidence is in your life and how you treat the scriptures.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Deuteronomy 14-16
