By Glenn Bowman, Preaching Minister at 3rd & Kilgore Church of Christ
Is it difficult to spring forward an hour each year? What about other things in life right now – are they weighing you down? Fortunately, we have a very reliable way to spring forward to succeed when life gets difficult – through God’s word! Let’s look at some passages from our reading this week and see how we can spring forward even when we feel stuck.
In the beginning of Deuteronomy 6, God promises blessings for those who keep His word and share it with their children and grandchildren (v. 1-3). He then gives what Jesus refers to as the greatest command in verses 4 and 5: “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.” Simply love God with everything within you and everything that you have! We know when people are deeply in love with one another, because it’s obvious to all those around them. We should have even more than that much for our God!
Those who are deeply in love typically talk about the one that they love effortlessly and often. Maybe this would help us envision how the verses 6 and 7 would happen naturally, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” If helping our children get to heaven is the greatest gift that we could give them, then we should zealously praise God and talk about His ways as a part of whatever we’re doing. Fortunately, we have gatherings such as Bible study and worship to help us with this, but we can and should teach our kids and grandkids whenever we spend time with them as well!
When Jesus was tempted after His baptism, He mentioned two verses later in that chapter as guideposts for Him to spring forward against Satan’s attacks. He said, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10, cf. Deuteronomy 6:13) and “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7; cf. Deuteronomy 6:16). Instead of falling into sin, Jesus cited these passages to resist the devil. When we feel discouraged or tempted to sin, we should likewise remind ourselves (and others) of God’s desires for us!
The third passage that Jesus mentioned at this time is shortly afterwards in Deuteronomy 8:3, where it says, “He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Sometimes, God allows us to suffer like the Israelites to learn this lesson. We need God and His word more than the physical food and other elements of this life!
Later, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). Since God’s word is eternal and most of the things that we think about are not, what should we trust in to get through life’s difficulties? Springing forward can be hard, whether that involves losing sleep or getting a new start in life. Thank God that His mercies are new every morning and we can spring forward through hearing and applying His word!
