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Greetings Family!
Fall has befallen us. See what I did there, lol! It’s a time of change and new cycles. One thing is certain, and that is that the Word of God never changes. It remains the same constant and reliable in every way. I came across a reading from my Bible app which always enlightens me and here are my thoughts. What is it that we can depend on and trust to deliver all the time in every season? There is just one thing. The Holy Words of God are the same yesterday and today and are extravagantly reliable. Within its pages we can find and trust the words to deliver answers for “The Way We Live and the Way We Think.”
The verse chosen for this month is taken from Deuteronomy 11:18, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” When Moses speaks these words in Deuteronomy 11, he’s not talking of just any words—he’s talking about God’s commands. The commands he had just finished restating to the people of Israel, are the foundational truths of how God calls His people to live; to Love Him, to Obey Him, and to Walk in His ways.
Earlier in the chapter, Moses reminded the people of God’s power—the way He rescued them from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and promised them a land of blessing. But along with the blessings came a choice: to remain faithful to God or to turn away. That’s why Moses urges them so passionately to “fix these words” in their hearts and minds.
This is the very thing, we are teaching the kids who come to Anchor AWANA clubs. The ultimate goal is teaching them to keep the words of God locked in their hearts, at the forefront of their minds and to learn to grow and live by them, trusting in them for God’s wisdom and guidance.
For the Israelites, this even took a physical form—many wore small scrolls of Scripture (phylacteries) as a literal expression of this command. Maybe you’re asking, Why the hand and the forehead? It’s a vivid picture. The hands represent what we do, and the forehead represents what we think. In other words, Moses is saying: “let God’s Word guide both your thoughts and your actions. Let it shape the way you live and the way you see the world.”
But whether literal or symbolic, the call remains the same for all of God’s children then, now and throughout all time: Keep God’s Word close. Let it saturate your life. Let it lead your heart, direct your mind, and shape your everyday choices.
As we enter a new season and as our world is forever changing, how will you fix God’ s words in your heart and mind today?
Following Christ together,
Pastor Kathi Kraus