Verse of the Day 3/9

Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 12-13, Mark 13:32-14:9
 Good morning,

My wife Jean gave me a book to read that fit's in well with our thoughts on how we are following Christ.  It's title is "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  The preface to the book starts out with this statement from Fracois Fenelon - " To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid "big sins" - is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?"

 

It's a sobering question that may be difficult or convicting to answer honestly.

For today's verse we'll go to Proverbs chapter 4 for some wisdom in this area.

 

Prov 4:20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;   NKJV

 

Francis Chan, in "Crazy Love" writes, "We see Him (God) as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way.  We forget that God never had an identity crisis.  He knows that He's great and deserves to be the center of our lives.  Jesus came humbly as a servant, but He never begs us to give Him some small part of ourselves.  He commands everything from His followers."

If we are following anything we must pay attention.  For the Christian it means paying attention to His Words, the Bible, keep them in front of us, in front of our eyes.  You probably don't think of inclining your ears, but the thought comes of straining to hear something, leaning closer trying to focus in on the source and avoiding the "chatter", the noise all around us.

 

Devout Jews were known to where "phylacteries" (Matt. 23:5) , boxes which carried scripture verses on their foreheads, trying to show that they had God's Word on their minds.  It was for show.  We are to have His Word in our minds and in "the midst of our hearts", at the very core of our being.

What place does God's Word have in your life as you follow.

 

Going back to "Come Thou Fount", don't be prone to wander, but fix your gaze upon Jesus as the Living Word and follow where He leads you.

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Prov 4:20-5:1

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.   NKJV