Deuteronomy 6:4–9
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. – Deuteronomy 6:6–7a
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This coming Sunday is Sunday School Sunday. May this week’s devotional passage remind us afresh that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” In the wilderness, Moses instructed Israel to love God with their whole being and to keep His Word close to their hearts. This is not only their charge but ours today as well. Faith is never meant to be private. It is to be lived out and passed down within the family from generation to generation.
At the edge of the Promised Land, Moses gave Israel these final words: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” (vv. 4–7a).
This passage, known as the Shema, remains one of the most treasured prayers in Jewish tradition. It begins with the word “Hear.” Before the printing press was invented in the 15th century, handwritten manuscripts were rare and costly. Ordinary people did not have personal copies of Scripture. God’s Word was received not by reading but by listening, and then faithfully passing it on.
Moses declared a timeless truth: there is only one true God. And because He alone is God, there is only one right response: to worship Him, love Him, obey Him, and cling to Him. In Hebrew thought, the “heart” represents the centre of emotions, will, and mind; the “soul” refers to life itself. To love God with all our heart, soul, and strength is to hold nothing back, but to give Him everything—our emotions, our thoughts, our will, our life, and our strength. Such love is not mere sentiment; it is a daily way of living.
God gave His Word not as abstract teaching but to be embodied in our lives, so that Christ’s life might be seen in us. When Scripture speaks of “when you sit at home, when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you rise” (v. 7), it points to every part of daily life. The best place to learn and practice God’s Word is in the ordinary rhythms of our days, in our homes, workplaces, schools, markets, and small groups. Whenever we notice a gap between what we profess and how we live, it becomes an invitation to confession, repentance, and renewal.
Israel was a covenant people, and their children were included in that covenant made at Sinai. From generation to generation, they were called to bear witness to the Lord. This is why Moses commanded: “Teach these words diligently to your children” (v. 7). Faith was passed down not primarily through formal classes, but through parents weaving God into daily conversations with their children. This simple yet faithful practice preserved their faith for thousands of years, even through hardship.
Prayer:
Abba Father, thank You for the exhortation You gave through Moses, and for preserving the faith of Your people through the generations. Help today’s parents to love You with all their hearts, and to make their homes places where You are honoured, worshipped, and obeyed. May Your Word be planted deep in our lives, and may it grow strong in the next generation. In the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Click to read
This coming Sunday is Sunday School Sunday. May this week’s devotional passage remind us afresh that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” In the wilderness, Moses instructed Israel to love God with their whole being and to keep His Word close to their hearts. This is not only their charge but ours today as well. Faith is never meant to be private. It is to be lived out and passed down within the family from generation to generation.
At the edge of the Promised Land, Moses gave Israel these final words: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” (vv. 4–7a).
This passage, known as the Shema, remains one of the most treasured prayers in Jewish tradition. It begins with the word “Hear.” Before the printing press was invented in the 15th century, handwritten manuscripts were rare and costly. Ordinary people did not have personal copies of Scripture. God’s Word was received not by reading but by listening, and then faithfully passing it on.
Moses declared a timeless truth: there is only one true God. And because He alone is God, there is only one right response: to worship Him, love Him, obey Him, and cling to Him. In Hebrew thought, the “heart” represents the centre of emotions, will, and mind; the “soul” refers to life itself. To love God with all our heart, soul, and strength is to hold nothing back, but to give Him everything—our emotions, our thoughts, our will, our life, and our strength. Such love is not mere sentiment; it is a daily way of living.
God gave His Word not as abstract teaching but to be embodied in our lives, so that Christ’s life might be seen in us. When Scripture speaks of “when you sit at home, when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you rise” (v. 7), it points to every part of daily life. The best place to learn and practice God’s Word is in the ordinary rhythms of our days, in our homes, workplaces, schools, markets, and small groups. Whenever we notice a gap between what we profess and how we live, it becomes an invitation to confession, repentance, and renewal.
Israel was a covenant people, and their children were included in that covenant made at Sinai. From generation to generation, they were called to bear witness to the Lord. This is why Moses commanded: “Teach these words diligently to your children” (v. 7). Faith was passed down not primarily through formal classes, but through parents weaving God into daily conversations with their children. This simple yet faithful practice preserved their faith for thousands of years, even through hardship.
Prayer:
Abba Father, thank You for the exhortation You gave through Moses, and for preserving the faith of Your people through the generations. Help today’s parents to love You with all their hearts, and to make their homes places where You are honoured, worshipped, and obeyed. May Your Word be planted deep in our lives, and may it grow strong in the next generation. In the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.