Deuteronomy 6 - 9.4.24

Scripture

You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Amplified)

Observation

Moses teaches the people of Israel about the importance of teaching their children the word of God. In the previous verse (Deut 6:5) he says, first make sure that these commandments are in your hearts. Then make sure that you diligently teach your children the word of God. Make it a priority. Impress God’s word on their minds. Penetrate their hearts with His truth. Speak about God’s word when you sit in your house. Talk about it while you drive down the road. Talk about it when you put them to sleep. Talk about it when you wake them up for school. Diligently look for opportunities to teach your children God’s word every single day!

Both me and my husband grew up in traditional Christian families in South India. Family prayer is a huge part of Indian culture. In my childhood there was a brief period when we lived with our grandparents, while my parents were constructing their house. Every evening before bedtime, all of us in the family would gather together, mats would be laid out and everyone would sit on the mats on the floor. Sitting on the floor while praying symbolizes reverence to God in Indian culture. My grandmother would start a worship song, and the whole family would sing together. Someone in the family would read the bible aloud - usually a portion from the New Testament and another portion from the Psalms. The prayer time would be closed by a prayer from an elder - usually the grandfather or the father. The scene would repeat in the morning. I would often be awakened before 6 AM, by the sound of my grandmother singing aloud early in the morning, which meant that it was time for morning prayer. The family would assemble for the morning family prayer, before everyone got busy with their day.

When my husband and I got married and were blessed with children, we tweaked the family prayer time to include the children. From the time they were old enough to understand stories, we bought them children’s bibles, and taught a story from it everyday, during the evening family prayer. The kids loved the family prayer time, as it was story-time as well! As the kids grew, the children’s bibles were replaced by other children’s and teens’ bibles to make the stories more age-appropriate for them. Today my youngest is 17, and we still do the bible study during the daily family prayer. The only difference is that today the focus is on the biblical truths and lessons more than the story.

Application

It is very important to God that we teach our children God’s word. God says that He chose Abraham because God knew that he would teach his children God’s word. “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD” (Genesis 18:19, KJV). It is not the responsibility of the church, the youth group leader or the kid’s church teacher to teach God’s word to our children. It is our responsibility, and our God-given mandate. Regardless of the age of your children, it is not too late to start teaching them God’s word today. If you are not doing it yet, find a way to incorporate teaching the Bible into your daily schedule. 

Prayer

Father, I thank you for your word. Thank you because your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalms 119:105). Help me to be obedient to your commandment to teach your word to the next generation, as you have said one generation will declare your works to another (Psalms 145:4). Help me to find ways to talk about your word in my home. Help me to make discussing your word a priority and a daily commitment. Open my eyes to see the spiritual children you have brought into my life, and help me to invest in teaching them your word. Help me to be obedient to your commandments. May my life be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you (Rom 12:1). In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George