February 2

From: Daily Sacrifice By: Henry Allan Ironside

Deuteronomy 6:6‑7

“These words... shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children...” —Deut. 6:6, 7⁶And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: ⁷And 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).

IN Old Testament times the Jewish home presented the highest type of family affection and child-training that was known in the world. Paganism at its best never reached anything like the Jewish ideal as to this. But it is in the Christian home that we see the fullest development of family privilege and responsibility. There Christ is ever to have the pre-eminent place; and husband, wife, parents, children, masters, and servants are all called upon to live and behave toward one another as in His holy presence and as seeking His glory in all that they do (Eph. 5:22²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22) to 6:9). To this end, there should be the daily reading of the Scriptures and prayer in the family circle, when all together bow before the Father above and commit one another to His loving care. But besides this, the young are to be trained in the ways of the Lord and the knowledge of His Word. Where parents leave this to the Sunday School or other outside activities, they are unfaithful to the responsibility God has put upon them. Nothing can make up for lack of Christian nurture at home.

“I supposed I knew my Bible,

Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,

Now a bit of John or Matthew,

Now a snatch of Genesis,

Certain chapters of Isaiah,

Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),

Twelfth of Romans, First of Proverbs—

Yes, I thought I knew the Word!

But I found that thorough reading

Was a different thing to do,

And the way was unfamiliar

When I read the Bible through.