Don’t Just Sit There…

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “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.”

What do we do when we sit?  Really?  Think about it.  Sitting is usually a pretty passive event.  Oh, we sit and work, sure, but other times, we just plop down and we ‘sit’, but do very little.  

In the book of Deuteronomy, God had some other ideas about what the Israelites could do with all that ‘down time’.

The Israelites were just about ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.  But before they stepped foot in the land, God wanted to remind them of the most important things they needed to embrace, remember and practice.  He instructed Moses to give them commands and decrees so that their children, grandchildren and generations to come would always remember and always fear the Lord, who did so many miracles on their behalf.

And what were those commands?  Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.  

And how were they to remember?  

• These commands are to be on your hearts

• Impress them on your children

• Talk about them when you sit at home & when you walk along the road

• Talk about them 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 your doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

God was trying to tell the Israelites that He wanted to be a part of their conversation throughout the day, regardless of what they did or where they went.  Even when they sat at home, He was there and, friends, He’s with us as well when we’re sitting at home, or in the car, or wherever we plant ourselves.  Will we make him a part of our conversation?  

Here’s an interesting observation. The word ‘sit’ in our English language means to physically ‘sit’ with our backside in a chair, but it also means to ‘be present’ as in babysit, housesit, dogsit, etc.  It’s a companionship of sorts. God wants that companionship with us- and He wants to be the topic of conversation.

Today, when you sit down, think through the three letters of the word ‘sit’: “S”  stop, “I” inquire of the Lord, and “T” talk to HIm. Then, go on and talk to the Lord.  Pray for your sons and daughters that they, too, would take time to sit and talk to the Lord.  Pray that they would love the Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul and all their strength.  And pray that His commands would be on their hearts so that whatever they choose to do, He is present and preeminent in their thoughts and in their hearts.

“Lord, too often we sit and do ‘nothing’.  Too often we let our minds wander to empty things.  Or, we let clutter in and it crowds out what You're trying to say.  I pray that today, as (name) sits down, you would bring a peace to their heart and a reminder to their mind to spend time in prayer with You.  Help them to stop, inquire, and talk to You.  Help them to love you with all their being.  Lord, I pray that their relationship with You would deepen so they’re longing to spend time in talking, praying and listening to You.  Let them sit in Your presence and soak in the Truths of Who You are and What a relationship with You truly means.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.