Our Daily Bread -- Written on Our Hearts February 16, 2016

Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-12 Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27:51-66 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. —Deuteronomy 6:6 In my neighborhood, religious inscriptions abound—on plaques, walls, doorposts, commercial vehicles, and even as registered names of businesses. By the Grace of God reads an inscription on a mini-bus; God’s Divine Favor Bookshop adorns a business signboard. The other day I couldn’t help smiling at this one on a Mercedes Benz: Keep Off—Angels on Guard! But religious inscriptions, whether on wall plaques, jewelry, or T-shirts, are not a reliable indicator of a person’s love for God. It’s not the words on the outside that count but the truth we carry on the inside that reveals our desire to be changed by God. I recall a program sponsored by a local ministry that distributed cards with Bible verses written on both sides that helped people memorize God’s Word. Such a practice is in keeping with the instructions Moses gave the Israelites when he told them to write the commandments of God “on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut. 6:9). We are to treasure God’s Word in our hearts (v. 6), to impress it on our children, and to talk about it “when [we] walk along the road, when [we] lie down and when [we] get up” (v. 7). May our faith be real and our commitment true, so we can love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength (v. 5). —Lawrence Darmani Father, may Your words be more than nice sayings to us. May they be written on our hearts so that we will love You and others. When God’s Word is hidden in our heart, His ways will become our ways. INSIGHT: Today’s passage begins with three verses of instruction about the benefits of keeping the commands of the Lord. Moses begins verse 4 with “Hear, O Israel.” Hear doesn’t mean “listen”; it means “understand” or “know.” The Israelites were to “know” the Lord—and so are we. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2016, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription