WALKING WITH GOD
Sarah Sloan
Today's Scripture: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You 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.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV
Theme: Teach God’s Word to your kids, throughout the day, every day.
THESE MOMENTS MATTER
It was the middle of the night, yet it was not completely dark. The moon was full and lit our way with an “other worldly” glow. The path we walked would have been scary had my father not been next to me. As we walked down the tree-lined path, in the stillness of the deep woods, his voice came to me. He started talking to God about the outlines of the trees, the beauty of the moon, the wonder of the night. He thanked God for His love, His beauty, and His creation. Then he laughed about some event of the day and relived it, like he was catching up with his best Friend. As we neared our tent, his voice quieted, and we slipped into our sleeping bags and went to sleep.
To my dad, this conversation was like any other he has had with God over the years; just one of the many times he would invite God into his day and walk together with Him through his life. For me, while it wasn’t a new experience, it was life-changing because it etched in my mind and heart the nearness, beauty, personal nature, and character of God. It is moments like these that I will always remember when I think of my father and what he taught me about having a relationship with the King of the Universe. It was in these moments I learned that while God’s beauty and power and were vast, He was also near enough to care for the sparrow, count the hairs upon my head, and name each individual star.
TALK OF HIM
Now, I am no longer a little girl but a mother myself and I have the great privilege and responsibility of choosing to intentionally let thoughts of God “be on [my] heart.” From the example set before me, I have learned that we can leave a legacy when we take the time to bring the big and small moments before God. We must learn to not hide our faith within ourselves but to speak of the truths of God’s character when walking down the road, when sitting, and when we rise. I have been given such a great gift of seeing the realness of God through the lives of my parents, and I have realized that this is the greatest gift we can give to our children and our families.
Make It Personal: Search your heart. Do you have a real, personal, and life-changing relationship with God? If not, stop and tell God that you long for that and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. If you do have that deep and abiding relationship, do you let others “listen in” on your friendship with God so that they too can see what how real God is and how He is working in your life? If not, pray and ask God for boldness to live your faith out loud.
Pray: God, I want to see You rightly as the all-loving, all-powerful and all-good God. I want You to fill all the empty spots within my heart and satisfy my soul as You alone can. Even though I know You, I turn to my own way so often. Help me to walk with you throughout each moment of my day. Help me to turn to You first and often. Help me to talk about You and to You in front of and with others. I want others to know and love You in the same way that I do. Help me not to be ashamed to share You with those closest to me. Thank You for always loving me and for wanting to be my best Friend. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Matthew 6:5-13, 6:25-33
Weekly Memory Verse: “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV)