Day 7: Understand?

Years ago (sometime circa 1980ish), there was an episode of The Cosby Show that had a line that seemed to stick in my mind. Cliff (the husband) was chastising one of his children as he did on so many occasions in a silly way and whatever child was looking at him with that same blank look that they all seemed to do and he slowly and with emphasis said, "Do you understand the wooords that are coming out of my mouth?" You see whatever it was that he was saying was obviously something he had had to repeat. As a parent, he was none too pleased about this need for repetition and was at the point where he wanted to be express about his direction and ensure that he was getting through to whichever child that it was. It was just one of those lines that stuck in my mind and is one that I've repeated with silliness when trying to communicate a thought to friends. "Do you understand the wooords that are coming out of my mouth?"

As I began to read chapter 7, I was struck at how it began: "My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye." (Prov 7:1-2) For a while there, I thought that I was reading the wrong chapter because I could have sworn that this was how what I read yesterday began. And when I looked back again, I noticed that it wasn't just familiar because of yesterday but because of the past 5 days. With each chapter from chapter 2 through 6 beginning with some similar version of "my son pay attention to my commands". But what rang even more true in this particular chapter was how it began to close in verse 24. Solomon says, "Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth..." Who knew that good ole Heathcliff was a preaching man?! For just like that frustrated father on television, God reiterates to us the necessity to keep his commands and pay attention to his law and make them the center of our hearts.

Today, as you examine your heart, where are God's laws/commands? Are you in touch with what he has commanded of you? Are you moving in obedience? Today's word to you and I is simply about obedience. This is not to condemn you but to simply remind you that obedience is so very important to God--important enough for him to repeat himself a minimum of 6 chapters in a row. The Bible tells us that "obedience is better than sacrifice" (I Sam 15:22). Today is your new opportunity to pay attention and move in the right direction. If tomorrow didn't flow quite right, today push reset and remind yourself of what HE said and then "just do it".

Be encouraged and encourage someone else!

Blessings,
MinD