July 17, 2013

In Deuteronomy Chapter 11 Moses describes the blessings of obedience to God’s word. He points out that the children of the Israelites did not see God’s powerful deliverance from Egypt, His destruction of their armies, nor His provision of manna in the wilderness. He instructs them to obey all of God’s commands, “Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates… (11:18-20).

As a faith community called Wesley United Methodist Church, there are many of us who have not observed directly the miraculous working of God. We are aware that God has powerfully been present among His people, and in establishing His kingdom on earth. We read about John Wesley and the ways the Holy Spirit filled him to minister God’s word and eventually impact a nation and a world. Even so, we live most of the time in the ordinary world of work, school, neighborhood, family, travel, etc.

I encourage each of us to find ways to daily “touch” God’s word, the Holy Scriptures. Moses instructed his people to prepare scrolls of the Word, and place them in a tube mounted to their doorposts. This is still done by faithful Jewish people. It is called a mezuzah and is inscribed with Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:12-21. I made one of these in a vacation Bible school project years ago, and touched it each time I entered my house from the garage. Some people use the Upper Room as a means to daily “touch” God’s word. Some use a yearly guide to scripture. Some read from a story Bible every night to their children.

As we live out our lives in this generation let us be a people of the Book, worshiping God, obeying His commandments, destroying idols, and loving Him with all we are, and our neighbors (in Springfield, in the Ozarks, and wherever we live) as ourselves.