“Remembering the Lord’s teaching is not the mere recollection of facts but is the abiding communion of love.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 10, 2024
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart. Proverbs 3:1, NIV
Humans are remarkably forgetful creatures. We forget where we put our car keys, we forget important dates like anniversaries or birthdays, and sometimes we forget what we were saying before the sentence even leaves our mouths! To combat this, we create habits and routines, set reminders on our phones, and leave post-it notes stuck to the garage door or bathroom mirror. We don’t want to forget, so we build life rhythms that support us in the way of life that we long to live.
So often, when it comes to the life of faith, I find that people do not make a deliberate and conscious decision to stop following Jesus. Sure, this happens from time to time, and people read or research their way into unbelief and become zealous evangelists for agnosticism or atheism. However, more often than not, falling away from faith is a far more gradual, insidious, and subtle affair.
The prolonged drift away from vibrant and abiding faith is one of the most tried and tested plays in the evil one’s playbook.
To combat this, we must hear and obey the words of Proverbs 3, receiving them today as the Lord’s word spoken directly to us. Do not forget the teaching of the Lord, but keep his commands in your heart. Of course, this proverb begs a follow-up question: what are the commands of the Lord? Here, we can call to mind the words of our Lord Jesus, who, when asked which command was the greatest, said:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘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 mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
Remembering the Lord’s teaching is not the mere recollection of facts but is the abiding communion of love. Our ability to observe the commands of the Lord is predicated upon our daily transformation into his likeness through the indwelling of his Spirit. We arrest the drift of apathy as we cultivate a daily habit of prayer, not born out of mere obligation or duty, but as a response of gratitude for the love we know in Christ. Obedience flows from a transformed heart. Focus afresh upon a daily rhythm that puts God first and a heart that is sensitive to his presence. When we do this, everything else falls into place.
Prayer
Father, lead us deeper and deeper into an abiding relationship of love with you, following the way of wisdom for all our days, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
The greatest defense against spiritual apathy is a daily rhythm of prayer. If you lack a consistent and intentional life of prayer, consider ways to take a first step in the right direction today, perhaps something as simple as setting the morning alarm a few minutes earlier than normal, taking time to ask the Lord to guide you and meet you in whatever the day may bring.
Related Reading
Deuteronomy 8:11; Psalm 103:2; Psalm 119:16
Worship Resource
Brooke Ligertwood: Soon
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