Keep: Arms Foreheads Doorways

“Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:8-9)

Over the years, many religious Jews have taken these two verses literally. They tie tefillin—small leather boxes containing Scripture—around their arms and to their foreheads. And they attach a mezuzah, a piece of parchment with Scripture on it stored in a special little case —to the door frames of their houses.

tree2_350If that helps anyone to remember and live by God’s commands more intentionally, it’s worth the effort. The idea seems to be to do whatever it takes to force God’s words into our daily lives to the point where we can’t easily ignore them.

It’s too common for us as Christians to compartmentalize Scripture. It is welcome in Sunday School, church, and Bible study. It is out of place when we’re watching TV or hanging with certain friends or doing science or politics. God wanted his people to make his most important commands as unavoidable as their own arms and doorways and foreheads.

Think: How could you make God’s Word more unavoidable in your life? How can you force his commands into the areas of life where they don’t seem to fit? How does this idea gel with loving God with our whole lives?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be bold in reminding yourself of his words in every corner of your life.

Do: Think about writing verse 5 of this chapter in big letters on your bathroom mirror or on your favorite T-shirt or on your forehead for a day.