THE KEY TO DAILY LIVING. Deuteronomy 6 The central theme of Deuteronomy is found in verses four through nine in this chapter. This passage guides us to connect God's word to our daily lives. It is meant for us to love God and obey His commandments. Then, we should teach them to our children and follow the routines outlined in the scriptures. The Bible contains many practical lessons and examples that, when applied, lead to a meaningful life with benefits for us personally and can be effectively passed down to future generations. The word of God is the essential teaching tool we cannot do without if we want to live successfully in the eyes of God.
Most of what our children learn from us is taught through the routine events of daily life. The attitude I have at the start of each day is a major impression they will form about how to approach the day. Some people excuse bad behavior by saying, "I am not a morning person." We are what we choose to be and allow ourselves to become. Beginning each day with a conversation with the Lord our God helps us face the unknown events ahead with faith in Him and grace toward others.
Our children and grandchildren will watch silently and hopefully learn that we can "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." If we do, we start the day on a good note. God's laws are given so we won't "crash and burn" because we are out-of-control people. Living carefully under divine guidance helps us live long and well. The teaching process is ongoing, and my love for the Lord and my response to His will are best learned through my example rather than words.
God wanted the covenant obligations to be so ingrained in His people that they would be a natural part of conversations and behavior within family life. One cannot be obedient to God without loving Him, nor can one truly love others without obeying God. It remains the spiritual duty of parents to pass down God’s truth and the history of His dealings with us and with those who lived before us.
The promise of a fruitful land appeared before the Israelites as they waited for God's sign to enter. They were likely thinking about farms and homes that awaited them, which could have belonged to them forty years earlier. Moses reminded them of their fathers' mistakes. He described the land and explained their duty to claim and preserve it. God had promised this land to them, and they were to keep it as He planned.
There are obligations and conditions we must meet to live according to God's plan. We are not independent individuals without responsibilities toward God and others. Our love and appreciation for God should be evident in how we live daily before our loved ones and neighbors. The Word of God provides the model for daily living for His people. A consistent theme in life is the type of life God desires for us. We are called to love God wholeheartedly—with all our emotions, mind, body, and soul.
When we love Him in this way, it correctly reflects our love for our families and those around us. If our faith in God remains strong, it provides us with insight into daily living as God intended. Many people's lives are so varied and disconnected that they struggle to recognize what is truly important. People can become almost as upset over losing a ballgame as they can over the loss of human life. Some have even given personhood to animals and plants, mourning over the death of creation more than recognizing the need for Christ as their Savior. His death paid the wages for our sins and offered the gift of eternal life to those who believe in Him.
In family life, it is up to parents to clearly show their love for God to their children. Children need to learn what God's commands are and why we follow the scriptures as our guide for life. Bible teaching should not be left solely to Sunday School teachers. The guidelines given in God's Word are meant for parents to teach, so the home environment can make them more effective. Effective teaching involves using real-life examples. There will be moments that serve as "teaching moments." Opportunities should be available for practical application of what has been learned. Some lessons are taught in public meetings, but they are truly learned when people apply them personally.
We can see other people through God's eyes when we genuinely love God. The need for our children to know Him influences our conversations. Opportunities to make a spiritual point arise when we are intentionally prepared and waiting for God to use us. Starting a conversation at mealtime or during a walk isn't too hard if we understand the needs of those around us. We should seize each chance to guide our children toward God's truth. Everywhere we look and everything we do provides illustrations and examples of God's power and presence. Use these daily experiences to teach unseen spiritual truths. "The things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal."
True religious education is an ongoing process that is best promoted through a combination of instruction and practical application. The children of Israel saw God's presence in the cloud and fire during their wilderness journey. Parents and children would leave for six days a week into the pre-dawn darkness to gather manna for daily nourishment. Those looking in that direction could see the Tabernacle at the camp's center and the smoke of continuous offerings rising up to God. While we do not have those visible Jewish symbols today, the Bible contains the scriptures that we should read with our children.
In our prayers to God, we should mention our children's names aloud so they hear, recognizing they are known to God and should act with the confidence, "Thou God seest me." When we gather for the Lord's Supper, the fellowship and all activities with other believers can become "teaching moments" if we explain them. Let us make God and our faith in Him real to our children in every way possible.
The fear of the Lord encompasses awe at His greatness and holiness, love for Him, and submission to God’s will. He knows who we are and everything about us, so when we are in fellowship with Him, we can experience joy in striving to become the person He desires us to be. Nothing fundamentally changes for us regarding the instructions He gave the Israelites about moral, ethical, spiritual, and family life.
God has given timeless instructions that remain relevant today. When we apply biblical teachings to our lives, we follow proven principles to pass on to our children and grandchildren. The core principles of life are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, love your neighbor as yourself, and pass these on to your children through words and actions.
God’s ways and words should be part of our conversations, decisions, business practices, home life, and church life—every activity. When they are bound on our “foreheads,” they guide our thinking. When they are “symbols on our hands,” they influence our actions. They shape our family life when they are on the “doorframes” of our houses. When they are on our “gates,” they direct our public life and interactions with others.
The Israelites were preparing to enter the land God had promised them, and the life they had known in Egypt and the wilderness for forty years was about to change completely. In a very short time, they would have houses to live in and fields of their own to work. Instead of being a nation of slaves, they were about to become prosperous landowners. The tendency to settle down and forget that God brought them there was real and needed to be warned against. The need for God to provide manna, water, and everything that sustains life would soon be gone, and they would think they no longer needed Him. In their minds, they could do what was necessary to live on their own.
People often forget that "in Him, we live and `move and have our being." The ground beneath our feet is filled with the "fullness of God." The seeds we plant derive their life source solely from God. There is never a moment of life, a bite of food, or a breath we take when we are outside of God's domain. The gods of men, whatever kind they are, do not provide "life and breath and all things." God intends every part of our lives to be good and right. His standards of righteousness and justice are given to us to follow, and when we fail, His plan for redemption and reconciliation is made clear to us.
Our reliance on Christ as our Mediator is ongoing and is emphasized when we pray and read the scriptures with our families. Sometimes, our children ask us why we do what we do, and we owe them a clear explanation. A child learns from wise parents the importance of daily responsibilities that are necessary for living a normal life. The value and purpose of work are demonstrated through everyday life at home. The spiritual aspect of life is taught when we apply the truths of the Bible and the practices of our church to our daily routines.
Reflecting on the past teaches us how to live in the present and prepares us for the future. Each generation of family members has experienced a very different kind of life. Sharing our family’s life story with our children and grandchildren is a good way to help them add their experiences to the broader family history. It’s very important to teach them that a relationship with God establishes the foundation for each generation and each person. Obeying God is what makes life go the way it should. We may face difficulties like poverty, suffering, and uncertainty, but our relationship with God supports us through those times. We know that doing the Lord’s will is being fulfilled. Perhaps there will be some benefits in the future that we might miss if we didn't experience those times.
Prosperity is not always measured by being "rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." True prosperity is not what we possess but who we are. One saintly man told another, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." The prosperity of the soul relates to our contentment and enjoyment of life and God. It also includes our interactions with other people and the important things within the context of realistic living.
When we love God and obey Him, our souls find rest. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." "Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content." A proper relationship with God allows us to live a contented life regardless of our circumstances. Living daily by faith is the greatest gift we can pass on to our children. A life of quiet contentment and meaningful work, combined with praise and worship of God, is a valuable inheritance. Living each day with righteousness, dignity, respect, honor, and integrity will please God, others, and ourselves.
Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”