Today’s thought “A blessing and a curse” (April 25)

Today’s thought

“A blessing and a curse”

(April 25)

Deuteronomy 10-11

We continue to read Moses’ final message – a wondrous exhortation to the tribes of Israel – before he died and they entered the promised land without him. These chapters in Deuteronomy have a powerful message. Much of what Moses says to them we can take to ourselves; “see”, he says to them,

“I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today …” (11:26,27).

Earlier in the chapter we read Moses’ appeal to them (and to us);

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul … You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise …” (verses 18,19).

How much teaching do parents give to their children these days? These parents had no Bible to put in their hands, but maybe that was a good thing! Teaching is a personal responsibility – it is evading that responsibility to do no more than give them ‘good’ books to read and send them to Sunday school to listen to a lesson for forty minutes or so some thirty to thirty-five weeks each year; the world around them presses in on their minds – so intensely – these days.

Moses told the people,

“if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the LORD will” (verses 22,23),

bless you so you inherit the promised land. We, ourselves must first teach ourselves from God’s words, messages such as this one – for ‘the promised land’ – the kingdom of God – is surely just over the horizon. Having taught ourselves we must teach any children we have – and others we can influence. The saying is that ‘actions speak louder than words’ – but words and actions together speak louder still. “A blessing” or “a curse” lie before us!
Which have you chosen – or are on the point of choosing? There is no middle way.

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Previous articles

Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church

Memorizing wonderfully 2 Biblical Reasons to Memorize Scripture

Fools despise wisdom and instruction

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Additional articles

1. Avoiding the big questions
2. Position of the Bible researcher
3. Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:17-20 – The Nazarene Rabbi’s Commentary on the Torah
4. Inculcate God’s words and speak of them
5. Reflections on Existence and Teaching
6. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
7. Good or bad preacher
8. Our life depending on faith
9. Study says highlighting gender leads to stereotypes
10. Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

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