Assemble the people—men, women and children,
and the foreigners residing in your towns—
so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God
and follow carefully all the words of this law.
Their children, who do not know this law,
must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God
as long as you live in the land
you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
Deuteronomy 31:12-13
In ancient times, there were no books, no Bibles, no apps or smart phones to access the Word of God. The people assembled. They listened and learned as the priest read aloud from the holy scriptures.
I love the visual created in this passage: men, women, children, and their children (as well as the foreigners residing in the towns) all gathered together to listen and learn.
God is the genius who thought up the idea of families. He placed us in those groups—whether by birth, marriage, or adoption—to love and encourage each other, to learn from each other, and to worship God together.
What a great privilege. What a high and holy calling to be a parent or grandparent. When a little one is added to our family, we start anew. We “reboot” … with yet another opportunity to teach a child about the Lord, to read His Word aloud, to share the wonder of our very great and very good God.
What joy!
The amazing thing is that as we teach and tell these young ones, the truth goes a little deeper into our own hearts. We embrace what we share in deeper and more profound ways than last year, last month, or even yesterday. God’s Word is like fresh manna! As we listen to and learn from it, the Bible prompts us to follow God more carefully. More intentionally. More joyfully. It spurs us on to know Him and worship Him!
Can there be any greater joy to a woman of God than to worship the Lord with all our beloved ones gathered together?
Today, I invite you to celebrate those in your family tree who gave you life, taught you truth, and spurred you on. Many of us were blessed with loving parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who also modeled the Christian walk well. Our full lives and fast-paced schedules can cause us to overlook calling or checking in with those who have loved, taught, and faithfully prayed for us during our lives. Don’t miss the blessing. Make the phone call. Get in the car and go visit. Ask questions. Listen and learn. Honor, celebrate, and worship the Lord together!
How has God used your family to teach you?
What have you learned from them about God?
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Isaiah wrote a beautiful prayer of yearning so that we, too, may learn to yearn. In this week’s devotional video, Angela Kincade of Cross Church shares from Isaiah 26:9 how we are to earnestly seek God, to learn righteousness, and to learn to yearn for the Lord. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to the message Angela has shared with us:
We invite you to consider the word LEARN this month as the focus our Write the WORD series. Visit our Downloads page for your free verse bookmark and optional S.O.A.P. study pages, as well as other helpful resources to help you balance the demands of your busy life with a heart for loving and serving God.
