Written On My Heart

"These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD , the God of your fathers, promised you.
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 upon 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.
When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you-a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant-then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD , who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Deut. 6:1-12

We read this scripture together on Sunday night at small group and talked about what it means to have the word of God written on our hearts. When I start to think about what I have written on my heart, or at least imprinted on my mind, I realize how many insignificant and trivial things have found a home in the deep recesses of my thoughts. Useless facts and trivia abound--By the way, do you know the human head weighs eight pounds? Sure, there are flashes of scripture and (if you know me) numerous moments of spontaneous song but other than that, what do I really have written on my heart? I think it is an appropriate question of introspection for all of us.

During my time at a church outside of Nashville there was an elderly man, Brother Williams, who each week would take the opportunity to vocalize some form of scriptural exhortation for all of us. Whether or not I always agreed with his theology or application of scripture was of little importance compared to the encouragement I received from the overflow of what was written on his heart. He believed in sharing the message of scripture with anyone who would listen and many did.

At times it's easy for me to be "satisfied" with where I am because my life as a seminary student is full of the Word of God--isn't it? The truth is, it is probably easy for a lot of us. I look up to those who are at a point in which it is not. But surely I don't forget the Lord, all He is and all He does! Sometimes I just wish what came out of my mouth was more than the daily happenings, current news, or sports headlines. Don't get me wrong, I do not intend to chastise myself or anyone else because these things are not bad. I just do not want to lose sight of the importance of the internalization of the Word of God and all things of God. Ultimately I want to be satisfied not in myself but in who I am in Him!

I want to be able to do more than say, "hold on a minute and let me find that scripture to read to you." I want to be more like Brother Williams whose outward expressions of the Word of God was simply the overflow of a heart after Him. However, we should be careful that the emphasis not be on the rote memorization of scripture as much as on the outpouring of our hearts as we continue in relationship with God and interact with His Word. Afterall, out of the mouth comes the overflow of the heart!

Hopefully we all have something to say...