GOD TALK

God Talk

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Deuteronomy 11:18

READ DEUTERONOMY 11:13–21

A study conducted by the Barna Group in 2018 found that most Americans don’t like to talk about God. Only seven percent of Americans say they talk about spiritual matters regularly—and practicing believers in Jesus in America aren’t that different. Only thirteen percent of regular churchgoers say they have a spiritual conversation about once a week.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritual conversations are on the decline. Talking about God can be dangerous. Whether because of a polarized political climate, because disagreement might cause a rift in a relationship, or because a spiritual conversation might cause you to realize a change you need to make in your life—these can feel like high-stakes conversations.

But in the instructions given to God’s people, the Israelites, in the book of Deuteronomy, talking about God can be a normal, natural part of everyday life. God’s people were to memorize His words and to display them in places where they’d often be seen. The law said to talk about God’s instructions for life with your children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (11:19).

God calls us to conversation. Take a chance, rely on the Spirit, and try turning your small talk toward something deeper. God will bless our communities as we talk about His words and practice them.

By Amy Peterson

REFLECT & PRAY

There’s so much about You, God, that can be shared with others in my life. Lead me as I interact with them. To learn more about why the Bible endures, visit bit.ly/2XO1Abb.

What challenges have come to you as a result of spiritual conversations with friends? What blessings?

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other Old Testament book except the Psalms. When tempted in the wilderness, He rebuffed Satan three times with teachings from Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13). And when a teacher of the law asked Him which commandment was the greatest (Matthew 22:34-40), Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5. That passage is repeated here in 11:13, emphasizing its importance. If Israel obeyed God’s law by loving “the Lord [their] God and [serving] him with all [their] heart and with all [their] soul,” God’s blessing would follow. Tim Gustafson