Photo by Patrick Case on Pexels.com

not meaningless words

Deuteronomy 32:44-47 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 32:44 Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the presence of the people.
Deuteronomy 32:45 After Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel,
Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Place in your heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this instruction carefully.
Deuteronomy 32:47 You see, they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of.”

not meaningless words

The thing about a song is that you can sing the words and sing them quite enthusiastically without meaning them at all. A song can be play-acting, pretending. Good singers can even spread the emotion of the song, causing their listeners to feel those emotions passionately, and producing tears or uncontrollable laughter — while at the same time not feeling the emotions of the words at all themselves.

Joshua was encouraged not to be such a singer. Moses told him to place the words of his song in his heart as a warning, because the rebellion of which Moses spoke was going to come. Joshua was to make sure it didn’t happen on his watch.

Each of us is responsible for our own voice, in our own generation. We have to sing God’s song from the heart — making sure that the words we sing are not meaningless words.

Lord, burn in us a passion for your gospel, and the skill to proclaim your words from the heart.