Sunday, May 28, 2017

Touching the Mezuzah and Remembering the Plan


Yesterday, I finally felt normal again after this long siege of bronchitis. I was full of energy. There was plenty of housework I could have done, but it was a beautiful day. I headed outside to work in the yard. 

I was in and out of the house all day long. Usually, I barely notice the mezuzah holder on the doorpost. It's been there so long I've lost a sense of its presence. Yesterday, it caught my eye almost every time I opened the door.  

Periodically, I'd pause long enough to touch the box and kiss my fingertips. It's part of mezuzah protocol, a sign of respect, not for the ornate holder, but for the Scripture inside. 

I've written about my mezuzah (that's the word for the Scripture inside) before, but I'm writing again because my over-large, too-gaudy-to-be-tasteful mezuzah box has captured my attention once more.

People sometimes see the mezuzah holder and ask if I'm Jewish. I'm not. It's a tangible symbol that God's presence abides in my home and His Word is the guiding principle here. Visitors see it before they enter my front door. 

Some people have a "beware of dog" sign. The mezuzah box is my sign. "Take note. God's in charge here."

There's no power in the shiny holder, but the Scripture inside is powerful. It's alive and active and cuts straight through to my heart. (Heb. 4:12) 

The Scripture inside is written in Hebrew and includes the Shema and my life verse, Jeremiah 29:11. (The Shema is standard. I included the verse from Jeremiah because it's my favorite.)

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4,5 nasb) 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 nasb

Yesterday, as I repeatedly touched the box, those verses were constantly in my mind. I'm to love God with all my being. He has a good plan for me, and it won't be thwarted... not by sickness, by all the things I worry about, or by the schemes and tactics of the evil one. 

I can trust the plan, even when I can't see it.

After being sick for so long, I needed that reminder. Maybe we all do. God's in charge, even when the world seems a dark and discouraging place, even when circumstances threaten to crush us. He's still on His throne and His plan is still unfolding. 

The truth of my mezuzah is pretty simple: We can trust the plan because we can trust the One who made it, so love Him because He's good. 

"For the word of God is alive and active...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 niv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post by Guest Blogger Ruthie Howard: Is Jesus All I Need?

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