S47P6 – A show of faithfulness: necessary reminders
Deut. 6:5-9
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 on 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.
Her work as a documentary filmmaker kept her pretty close to home most of the time. One film, however, demanded much more of her attention in a far-off place. They knew that this would be a difficult period, but they expected the time to be short. Unfortunately, the weeks dragged on to months, and the time apart was very difficult for him. He went from seeing her every day to only speaking to her every few days. Most times, he was only reading words on a screen. He began to wonder whether he could remain faithful under the pressure of separation. Then, he looked at the pictures on the wall and the keepsakes on her dresser and books on her nightstand. These all reminded him of her, and they helped him remain loyal during this time of loneliness. Reminders of her and of her love for him were enough to carry him through.
There is a reason why this scripture tells us to pay such close attention and spend so much energy on remembering the commands of God. It is too easy to get caught up in other things and forget what it means to be faithful. God is not someone who is physically before us on a daily basis. When we do not see him, we can start to forget some things that we should always remember. It is important for us to be intentional about making sure that we are reminded of his commands and his precepts and his faithfulness. When we look at what He has done for us, and when we look at what He promises to do in the future, it will help us to remain faithful to him today. We want faithfulness to be a habit that we develop so that it turns into a mere reflex. We want loyalty to God to be our default.
When we take the time to remind ourselves of who God is and what He does, we then begin to remember how deserving He is of our faithfulness. This is why it is so important to read scripture and discuss our faith with others and pray regularly. This is why it is so important for the saints to gather and remember their lord in community. When we fellowship with our brothers and sisters, we fellowship with the body of Christ. They should be a reminder of our Savior and everything He has done for us. This, in turn, should encourage us to remain faithful during the most difficult times. Let us not forget our first love even if we cannot see him. Father, we ask You to continually remind us of every good thing about You so that we will be encouraged to exercise and develop faithfulness daily.