April 6, 2013 God Everpresent

Read Proverbs 6 God Everpresent Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. “BIND THEM” – bind the words of God to your heart. You’ll see this phrase in Proverbs 3, 6 and 7. You’ll see it, too, in Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 6. “Bind them”, bind the words of God to your heart is a key picture of the Shema (sh ma’) of Deuteronomy 6. “Shema” means “hear” or “Hear O Israel”, and it is Moses’ urgent plea that his people hear God’s words and his commands to constantly guide their lives. In the Shema and here, you see the urgent call to hear God’s words and keep them when you lie down, when you rise, when you walk along the road and when you sit at home. God’s words are to be everpresent around you. When God’s words are everpresent, God is everpresent. He will be there in the power of his words to strengthen you against evil as he forms your heart and mind more and more into his very essence. The Proverbs writer knows full well how evil, instead of Gods’ words, bind and imprison people’s hearts. He urges you to think, say and do God’s words as you resist evil and rejoice in being likeminded with God. As Jesus came to “proclaim freedom for the captives” (Luke 4:18) he did so through the preaching of the holy God’s words. God’s words are your key to freedom from evil. Read, speak and know God’s words. Put them into action. Why wouldn’t you? God is everpresent when you do. It’s True! God’s words are written for you.