Take a moment to read Deuteronomy 6 before reading the devotional below.
We were on our way to North Carolina on vacation, and we came to a place where we had to make a choice about which way to go. One choice led us to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The other led us a bit more quickly along a regular highway. “So, do you want to see a really long bridge interrupted by really long tunnels?” I asked my wife. Apparently she did. We drove down the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and we even stopped in the little gift shop in the middle of it. Several weeks ago when I was moving some books around, I actually found the $3 guidebook that I bought all those years ago. I’m pretty sure I’ll read it eventually, but either way, I don’t regret my choice. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was the first stop on one of my favorite vacations I’ve ever been on.
Moses continues his second speech in Deuteronomy by addressing the issue of choices. The Israelites are about to enter a wonderful land that God is providing for them. When they get situated, and life gets easy, will they still follow the leadership of God? Or will they get distracted or over-confident? Moses main point is very practical. If the Israelites want to stay faithful to God, they need to build reminders into their lives. They need to remind themselves of who God is and what he’s done for them. Moses tells them to make a habit of repeating God’s rules, and to inscribe them on their jewelry (“tie them to your hands”), and to hang them up as decorations (“write them on the doorposts of your house”). Most importantly, God tells them to build it into their family culture. All parents tell stories because all kids love stories. Israelite parents were expected to tell stories that explain why God is the hero and the king.
Hang verses on your walls. Get a t-shirt with a quote from the Bible on it. Get a tattoo if you’re feeling especially bold. Most importantly, though, build it into your conversational habits. Never stop telling the stories of who God is and what he’s done in your life. Tell them to your children. Tell them to your friends. Tell them to your neighbors and to strangers on the bus. Those stories are a vital way that you and those you love will remember the most important truths in the entire world.