Conversations

When our daughter was young and at home, our house was overflowing with noises - giggling girls at slumber parties, blaring television shows, ear-splitting music, telephone yakking for hours on end, the incessant drone of a hairdryer. Did you know that a typical 1875 watt full-sized hair dryer emits up to 87 DBAs, which is actually louder than noise in a video arcade?

Is your house full of noise?

Is your house full of the noise of talking?

How would you describe your household's conversations? Do they include trivia and interesting facts? Are they about authors and best-selling novels? Are they about the latest movies or music? Are they full of gossip?

How often does your household talk about God...or to God? How long of a time passes before our precious Lord's name is mentioned? Is He mentioned at all?

The Bible is full of examples and encouragments regarding our conversations, but several verses in Deuteronomy are my favorites.

"And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, 'Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.'" Deuteronomy 4:8-10

These verses remind me not to forget the things of our Lord or let them slip from heart as long as I live. Then, more importantly, I am specifically told to teach my children and the children after them. The noise in my household should include such talking.

This decree is so important to ourselves and our families that Deuteronomy 11:16-21 not only tells us to fix His words in our hearts and minds, but goes one step further.

"Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. The the LORD's anger will burn against you, and He will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

We are to teach them to our children, talking about them when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up. That means that the talking noise in my house or in the presence of anyone who belongs to my household had better center around the Lord I claim to love!!

Corrie Ten Boom spoke of her family having scripture in their shoes as a reminder during severe persecution that they were standing on the foundation of the LORD. They knew how precious God's Word was, and since they could not speak of it aloud, they found a way to honor, remember, and respect its power and significance.

My household's conversations are not being threatened or stopped by persecutors. We have absolutely no excuse not to focus our talking and teachings where they belong.

Next time you pause to listen to the noises in your house, critique the conversations. Evaluate your own ... at home ... walking along the road ... when you lie down ... and when you get up!

Dear LORD,

Thank you for giving us your written Word to tell us what you have accomplished in the past according to your will and your purpose. Bring it to my attention all of the times that my words and conversations are not pleasing to you. If you are not the primary focus of my noisy chatter or my quiet meditations, make that abundantly clear to me. I do not want to disobey you or dishonor you. Thank you for all that you have done for my forefathers. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Thank you for all you are planning to do for me and my children and my children's children. Amen!!