Today's Readings: New Testament -
Luke 18:31-43 / Romans 11:25-36
Old Testament -
Psalms 65 / Deuteronomy 9-12
Click on Text Links to Read Online
Focus Verses: Deuteronomy 10:18-21
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Insight:
As Moses was recounting the experiences of Israel's journey, the instruction they had received from God, and the possibilities that were now before them, he stressed the importance of keeping God's word alive in their lives. He told them to fix God's words in their hearts and minds; to talk about God's words with their families--at mealtimes, on walks, at bedtimes; to make God's words a part of everyday life--as everyday as walking through the front doors of their homes. Faithfulness to God's word, Moses said, would lead them to long, blessed, and fulfilling lives in the new land God was giving them.
Response & Action:
God's Word--his instruction, his commands, and the story of his interaction with humankind--should be part of my everyday life. That's why I spend a little time reading Bible each and every day. It's why I spend a little time thinking, journaling, and praying about what I've read. It's why I enjoy talking about the Bible with friends and family whenever I can. It's why I love singing Scripture songs. It's why I commit verses to memory. It's why I enjoy art and books and blogs and movies and poetry and lectures and anything else that causes me to remember and delight in God's Word.
O God, I want your words to be part of my everyday life—as common as waking with the new day, as typical as a morning cup of coffee, as usual as driving to work, as frequent as checking email, as normal as brushing my teeth. Through the Scriptures, remind me of your love, spur me on toward love and good deed, and lead me in the ways of truth. May your Word be alive in my heart and mind, be heard on my lips as I talk with friends and family, and be made visible as it shapes my attitudes and actions. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:19-20
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Resources:
Holy Conversation
by Richard Peace
