Talk About Him This Much
Guest post by Chase Green.
Have you ever heard a young lady talk about that special young man she is interested in? Chances are she could go on and on about him – his looks, his smarts, his sense of humor, and his interests.
Is it safe to say that she likely would talk about him morning, noon, and evening?
What about our Lord? Does the Bride of Christ talk about her Groom on a daily basis? Does she take every opportunity to extol His wonderful works, His lovingkindness, and His grace? Does she take moments each phase of her day to pause, reflect, and meditate on what He means to her?
The Bible prescribes just that in Deuteronomy 6:4-12:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”
Verse 4 begins a Hebrew prayer that is known as the Shema, which was uttered each morning and evening by faithful Jews. It is a reminder of the one true God, and that there is no other.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Verse 5 indicates that God’s people should love God with every ounce of their being.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Verses 6 and 7 show that God’s people should never cease to talk about the One Who is their God. Like the young girl who talks about her love throughout the day, God’s people should do the same.
This, of course, isn’t to mean that every word of our mouths should be about God. That would be impossible. But like the concept in 1 Thes. 5:17, (“pray without ceasing”), God’s people should talk about Him so often that there is never a day in which God has not been mentioned in the home.
“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
According to verses 8 and 9, not only should God’s people talk about God throughout the day, but should even decorate their houses and adorn their clothing with His precepts.
Finally, verses 10-12 indicate the danger of God’s people forgetting God when they experience the material blessings often characterized by “the good life.”
“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant — when you have eaten and are full — then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
It wasn’t just the Israelites in the Old Testament who found themselves forgetting God. Christians sometimes do so as well. (See 2 Peter 2:19-22).
May we always keep God’s name and His precepts on the forefront of our speech so that we may never forget His bringing us out of the bondage of sin.
Chase Green is a good friend that I spent some time with in preaching school - he graduated in the class before me. Chase preaches for the Marietta Church of Christ in Marietta, Oklahoma.
Chase hosts the Everyday Christian podcast with the Scattered Abroad Network.