Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!" For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children—
Growing up in my father's house I heard a lot of clichés that I took to heart. You probably did too. "As long as you're living under my roof..." and "Do as I say, not as I do..." and "This is going to hurt me more than it is you..." I also heard instructions and advice on who to live my life. In my heart I sought not to disappoint my Dad. Then came the teenage years and with it the stupid wisdom that I knew everything, even more than my dad. Thankfully, deep down I knew what was right and what would get me killed; if not in an accident, but at the hands of my father. Israel, had such a Father as well; God shared with them statutes and ordinances that God meant for them to observe as they entered into the promised land. In this passage, we hear the reminder of how important these are. "You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples,who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!' For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to Him?" As I sought to live a model life, I was also bringing honor to my family; as Israel sought to live a model life among the people who did not yet know God, they were bringing honor to God, and perhaps, even bringing them nearer to God. They were told not to forget what they had seen and experienced nor to let such memories slip from their minds, and even, to teach such to their children.
As I spend time with my grandchildren I try to slip in some gems of wisdom to them in the hope that a seed is planted that instructs them in the way of righteousness. I want their lives to bring honor and glory to God. I want them to see and know the love of God and to keep those memories as precious and ever present. And one day I want them to teach those to their children and grandchildren. I want the glow on their face to be not from their smartphones or tablets, but from the glow of God's love that has come to them.
PRAYER: Loving God, bring the glow of Your love to my face so that this glow may also come to the faces of those I love. This I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
