By The Way…

Yesterday afternoon, as I loaded a few groceries in the back of my car, another vehicle pulled into the space behind me. After putting my buggy up and getting into my car, the other driver (a lady) walked up and knocked on my car door. I hesitantly opened the door and she said something like,

“OK, you gotta tell me what the verse is. Is it ‘I know the plans I have for you?'”

“No”, I replied, “it talks about teaching our children ‘when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, when thou risest up”

“Oh, that’s good”, she said as she walked off.

The verse she was referring to was the Scripture reference I have on my license plate – Deuteronomy 6:6,7 – and verse six is actually the inspiration for this blog, “In Thine Heart”:

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 6:6,7

The last two mornings, the Lord has put a different phrase from the above passage on my heart through my New Testament reading. On Wednesday, I read:

“And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?” Mark 8:27

When I read the verse, the phrase “by the way” stood out to me and I immediately thought of the Deuteronomy passage. A few verses later I read:

“And he began to teach them…” Mark 8:31 

That’s when I got a little excited! Here was Christ giving us as parents an example of the teaching opportunities we are to take advantage of as we walk “by the way” with our children. 

Yesterday morning, I read two more verses containing the same phrase:

“And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.” Mark 9:33,34 

Here, we see the disciples spending their “by the way” time arguing.

A simple thought this morning:

As mothers, what will our children learn from us “by the way”? As we go about our household duties, as we drive to town, as we work out in the yard, as we go shopping, etc will we make the most of our “by the ways”? Oh, and by the way…we must remember that our children learn by our actions and reactions as well as our words.

“By the way” opportunities – in order to make the most of them, we must first make sure we have spent our own time with the Lord through Bible study and prayer. Then, ask the Lord to help us be sensitive to teaching opportunities throughout the day.

Today and every day, let’s make the most of our “by the ways”!

“No man or woman ever had a nobler challenge or a higher privilege than to bring up a child for God and whenever we slight that privilege or neglect that ministry for anything else, we live to mourn it in heartache and grief.” ~ Vance Havner