“Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. ‘Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.’”
2 Kings 22:8, 10, 11, 13
*This devotional was written many years ago.
A neighboring county is in the middle of a lawsuit over whether or not to leave the Ten Commandments hanging on the wall of the county courthouse. One side of this issue says that the Ten Commandments are the basis for the laws of our land and our country was founded on the freedom of religion. I agree. Their opponents state that favoring one religion such as Christianity by displaying the commandments is a violation of separation of church and state. The tragedy here is not just that these laws could be removed from the walls of the courthouse, but that they could be removed from our lives as Americans. It is so important that we read the bible, reading not only the Ten Commandments, but also the entire bible, which is our instruction book for life. If we are parents, we must read it to our children. Notice the effect that reading the Book of the Law, which included the commandments, had on the king. He tore his robes in mourning. God’s word is very powerful. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It is full of instructions for peace, joy and true happiness, but its words are very convicting. They are not just words, but God’s spoken word straight from Him to us. They reveal to us our sin, which is what happened in these in 2 Kings. How will we know of our sin without a consistent reading of God’s word, aligning our lives with His law? For parents, how will our children know? Be sure that you are constantly reading and studying God’s word, writing it on your heart and on your children’s hearts, so that whether or not it is hanging on a wall, you know it and can live by it. Pray and ask God to help you make a plan to be in His word daily.
Life in Paris aka Life with Brown Dog 