write them on the doorframes of your houses

July 15, 2014 by Heather 25 Comments

If you came into my home and asked my husband about his favorite Bible verses, well, you may as well sit down and have a muffin and a cup of coffee…or two because you will be here a while. But most assuredly, Deuteronomy chapter 6 will come up.

He specifically loves these verses, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” I can see him signaling with his hands and I can hear the inflection in his voice even as I write this. I’ve heard it so many times.

In our society we have an almost unlimited access to God’s word. So much so in fact that many of us take it for granted. Right here, me too. Chief of sinners. Now, I am not into end of the world prophecy. I know that we are living in the end times simply because Jesus said it. He is coming soon. I’m also not into speaking poorly of our government. I do know that there are many many things they can do better. I can too. But that being said, I can envision a time to come when the reading of God’s word is just not possible and the speaking of His name is prohibited. The thought makes me anxious and worried and all of the things that Jesus tells me I need not be. But too often I am anyway.

The people of Moses’ time didn’t have the written word with them. No one did. And so, God’s word, His works and His ways and His promises were passed on from generation to generation by doing just what is spoken of in Deuteronomy 6. Children knew the Lord because their fathers would speak of Him as they walked along the road, as they lie down, and as they got up. God’s goodness and faithfulness to all generations was actually written on frontlets and bound to their foreheads.

And His word was written on the doorframes of their houses.

So I too will write His words of love and hope and majesty all over my home in the hopes that I might know Him in the very depths of my soul and that my children might know Him too. Not out of fear, but because His beautiful, intricately woven word invites me to do so.

This weekend a dear friend brought me something for my home. It’s something I asked her to make and she lovingly agreed. (And hey, it’s 45 whole words shorter than the longest verse in the Bible.)

Start at the bottom and work your way up.

It’s lovely and I get all warm and fuzzy just looking at it. The best part is though, it’s written upon my heart, and before I know it it will be written upon my children’s hearts too.

What words from His Word line the walls of your home?