COMMAND

The Quote:

"My son, keep your father's commands, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep they will keep you; and when you awake they will speak with you. For a commandment is a lamp, and a law is a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,  ~Proverbs 6:20-23

Today, as I was reading my Bible, I saw these verses, I loved what was being said, mostly because as a parent I wonder how much I taught my child will stick. The Bible says, "to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is OLD he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) This leads me to believe that no matter how much we want our children not to stray from the correct path, the path we taught them, they will, it is human nature. Just like children of God wander far from him at times.

As parents we are to have commands and rules. We don't have to have a lot of them, Jesus only had two, on those two all the others had their foundation. We have rules or boundaries because we love our children. The our children have two things to do. First, to bind them on their heart, make them stick to their life, memorize them. The second thing they have to do is tie them around their necks. Maybe Solomon's children had a necklace of sorts that they wore that reminded them who they were and how they should act. I think that is a great idea, a reminder to our children of who they are and how they should act, it doesn't have to be a necklace, it could be a card in their lunch that says I love you, or a hug in the morning before they leave for school.

Solomon goes on to say that commands and laws will do some things for us. First they will lead us on our paths when we roam, Strong's concordance says this word means to travel,to walk, depart, wander. The Websters dictionary says to to wander without direction, but then it also says to travel purposely... I believe this can mean in either case the commands will guide us, whether we are far from where we should be or on the correct path. Solomon goes on to say that when we sleep they will keep us. We teach our children to pray, "Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep...." Having the commands and laws in our heart and around our necks will keep us. Solomon then says that when we awake, could this mean come to our senses?  The commands will speak with us, they will remind us who we are and were we should be.

The commandments are lamps that light the way, the law is a light that shines in the darkness, and reproof through instruction is the way of life. Without a lamp to light the way, a light to shine where evil can hide and instruction for life we can not progress. This is true for our children and for the child of God.

Lord, Help me to live the commands and laws you have set forth for us all, to Love you with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as I love myself. I thank you that if I live these then everything else will fall into place and if I do stray I have them to lead me back. To keep me when I sleep, and to speak with me when I come to my senses. Thank-you God!

The Drawing: