A Life in Exile

Not only is today my first Wednesday Wisdom post for a new year, but it’s also my birthday! As the decades increase in my life, the truth of God’s Word continues to be firmly established in my mind, heart, and life experience. Thus, I want to share with you, out of the wisdom I’ve been privileged to gain in this life—which only comes from my daily digging into His Wisdom, as found in His Word—that there is a way to see through the constant messaging of this world and find peace in this life.

Know God’s Word

There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to mixed messaging. Since the first encounter with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, there has been an attempt to deceive men and women and lead them to doubt the Creator. “Did God really say?” Isn’t that still what we hear today?

You know what it might sound like. I sure do. It’s in phrases like:

• “Christianity is just a myth.”
• “God is dead.”
• “You have to be simple-minded to be a Christian.”
• “Anyone with a brain knows the Bible’s not true.”
• “Prove it!”
• “Why should you have to give up what you like to follow that Jesus?”

Well, you get the picture. I could go on forever.

God’s not surprised by all this mumbo-jumbo, and when he called a specific man to be the father of a specific people that would look different from the other nations of the world, he warned them that they should not be deceived by the messages of the world around them. The gods they followed were nothing but wood, stone, and metal in comparison to the infinite, all-powerful Creator-God of the Universe. So he gave them a man named Moses to lead them away from the noise of Egypt and into the desert that would lead them to the land of Promise. While in that quiet, spacious desert, he gave them his laws—the guidelines that would set them apart as His people.

What did they need to do? Remember what He told them.

“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21 ESV, emphasis added)

Memorize God’s Word

The first word in this passage is imprint. Most of us think about the paper-printing industry when we see that word, but that is not how it’s used here. Where is God’s Word to be imprinted? On our hearts and minds. Why is that important? Because the mouth speaks what the heart loves the most. Jesus told us.

A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. (Luke 6:45)

When we memorize God’s Word, we are able to recall it and act on it. Think about how many songs or lines from your favorite movies you’re quickly able to recall. Now think about how many times you’ve brought those into a conversation with a friend or used them when writing or giving a presentation. It happens, so don’t deny it!

Now, think about what it would mean if you knew God’s Word as well as you did those secular messages. The more we imprint God’s Word in our hearts and minds, the more we’re able to live by it, speak it to others, and use it to counteract the false messaging of the world around us.

See God’s Word

Notice the various ways the Lord is telling the people to let the Word penetrate their minds and hearts. In our world of social media, it is commonly known that visual images are a powerful tool to reach the masses. You click on what appeals to your eyes. God knew that His people needed the words of His law before their eyes on a regular basis.

How? By having it written down. They would bind the written Word on their hands and even wear it in special headbands on their foreheads. They would write it on their doorposts and city gates, so that in their coming and going, whether near or far, they would see that Word from God and remember whose they were and how they were to live.

What are ways you put God’s Word before your eyes? Perhaps it’s a daily Scripture calendar or Post-it notes on your bathroom mirror or in your car. Do you have Scripture written on the walls or doorposts of your home or apartment? Do you have a favorite Bible verse taped to your computer screen?

What do you need to do in this new year to get visual reminders of the truth of God’s Word? When we see God’s Word, we remember God’s Word.

Talk about God’s Word

How often do you bring up a verse or passage from the Bible in your conversations with your spouse, children, or friends? Look at how God is instructing His people in this passage. There are two verbal ways to convey all He’d taught them—through teaching and talking.

As a person who has taught Bible studies for years, I know that when I teach on a passage of Scripture, I gain much more than those I teach. So, when we are told to teach our children (which I think we can apply to biological or spiritual children), we are not only giving them ammunition to stand up against the deception of this world, but we are also reinforcing or recharging our own hearts and minds for the same purpose.

Along with teaching, the simple act of speaking about God’s Word is crucial to counteract the messaging of the world. I like the progressive and all-encompassing way he includes the need to speak God’s truth.

• When you sit
• When you walk
• When you lie down to sleep
• When you get up

Yes, we could relate this only to our instruction of our children. That makes sense. We know that we should speak to them about God’s Word at every opportunity, including bedtime and in the mornings, as the day begins. But we can also apply this to all aspects of our lives and relationships. There is no time of day, no age limitation, no spatial prohibitions to our ability to speak God’s Word to others.

The more we talk about God’s Word, the more we counteract the impact of false-messaging. What would happen if Christians remained silent in this world? If we don’t speak up with the Truth, then the lies and deception of the world win.

As you begin this new year, how can you push back against the growing deception all around us? Will you determine to grow in your knowledge of God’s Word by reading and memorizing it, by putting it before your eyes, and by teaching and talking about it with others?

I pray that as we grow in our love for God and His Word, we will be forces of light in the darkness and Truth in the face of deception to His honor and glory.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these posts on God’s Word: We Forget God’s Word, Imprinting God’s Word on Your Heart and Mind, Remember God’s Word for a Full Life and Well-Being, The Living Word, and For Further Medication.