My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.
Proverbs 3:1-2 (NLT)
Over the years, I’ve had many lockers. Whether it was Jr. High, high school, or athletics, I had a place to throw all of my junk – oh, and my books and stuff. With each locker came a unique combination in order to open the lock. The combination was set by the school (the locks were built into the lockers), so we didn’t get to choose the numbers for the lock. For a person that is a bit forgetful, remembering stuff can be a challenge. Remembering a set of three numbers per locker (which I didn’t pick) sometimes proved a bit challenging. Imagine racing between classes, trying to beat the bell to class, when you are standing in front of your locker and can’t recall the combination. In addition, the book and homework you need for the next class are securely locked inside. It was not fun. Plus, the school I attended had a “Locker Combination Retrieval Fee” of $20. So, after paying my fine, and getting a tardy for class, I’d do my best to remember the combination – at least for a few weeks.
Storing stuff securely isn’t just for our school years. As adults, we have locks on our homes to protect the valuables, and the loved ones, inside. We have safes to keep all of our important documents and treasures secure from disasters and/or thieves. Making sure stuff doesn’t go missing becomes more important as we move on in life, not less.
King Solomon also believed that locking things in a secure location was important. Not just his treasury of gold and silver, but also God’s instructions. In God’s wisdom, Solomon wrote, “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.” In other words, don’t let a thief (AKA Satan) steal the peace from your life by getting you to let go of what God has instructed you to do. Protect it. Live it. Know it. Follow it.
His instructions bring not just peace and joy in this life, but lead us on the journey to eternal life in a perfect kingdom with an all-loving, all-powerful, all-amazing God. And, as we discussed in yesterday’s devo, we store them in our heart. Why? Because those instructions begin and end with a loving relationship with the God of the universe. Because they are important to Him, they must be important to us.
To listen to this Daily Dose episode, go the the Podcasts Page and click on your favorite podcast platform.
ChadReisig.org 