I have a very good friend who I catch up with every few months for breakfast. We order our food and coffees and then sit down and the conversation starts with something like – ‘How are you?’ ‘How are things with the family?’ ‘’Have you heard the one about the pastor, the priest and the rabbi?’
But usually by the time brekkie has arrived we have changed tack and are speaking about what we love to discuss the most, and that is the Word of God, and what the Lord is doing in our midst and in the world. We can keep going like that for hours.
Do you have someone you do that with?
Whenever we discuss the Word of God together, we are simply obeying a command in the Torah that is attached to the Shema.
Deuteronomy 6:7 ‘… and (you) shall SPEAK OF THEM when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.’
In Hebrew ‘SPEAK OF THEM’ is ‘DIBARTA BAM’.
The command simply wants us to let the Lord and the Bible be our main topic of discussion throughout our day. And not just a general discussion but specifically about His commandments and how they might apply to our life.
For that to occur successfully, we must always have something fresh to share from the Bible. And the only way we can do this is if we expose ourselves to the Word daily and allow it to be fresh to us daily.
Some people don’t know how to do this so I’d like to try to make it simple for us by breaking it down into a short series of simple and easily attainable How Tos.
9 Ways To Always Have Something Fresh From The Bible To Talk About
Firstly – in order to expose yourself more to the Word of God, you could easily begin by committing to read the Bible daily—even for a few moments.
Having mastered that goal, gradually extend the time you spend reading the Bible and find a good devotional booklet to work through.
Perhaps give yourself some chapter goals – for example reading a chapter a day, or five chapters a day.
Add to this – listening to good podcasts – perhaps while out walking or at the gym.
Progress your commitment to spending an hour a week to watch some great Bible videos. My personal favourites are on Biblical archeology.
Make the Word of God the centrepiece of your life—speak of it when you lie down and when you rise up
Supplement this with a dose of Word-based worship music.
For the zealous among you – join others studying every week in a forum like a life-group or Bible study club.
For those wishing to really break through into another dimension in your spiritual walk – join a weekly Torah Portion or the Milk Course.
But best by far, and this is a closely guarded secret amongst us Bible teachers, the most effective way to learn is when you make to decision to teach others.
Start small – teach your friends.
Then if you have time, join a Religious Instruction program to teach the Bible in a school or find a way to teach in your church or synagogue congregation – children or adults. You will bound ahead in your knowledge of the Bible.
Any of these things when done regularly will most surely equip you with something fresh from the Bible to talk about when you are with others.
Now that you always have something fresh from the Bible to talk about, where should you use it?
When You Sit In Your House
The first place we are to speak of the Word is naturally our own homes.
… and (you) shall talk of them when you sit in your house…
When God commands this, the first thing I think of is a picture of the family dining table – with a meal.
It could be just with your family or with lots of friends; it may be a beautiful Shabbat meal, or just a coffee and a bikkie with your spouse at morning tea.
Or perhaps ‘in your house’ could be your lounge room or out by the pool with friends, or on the edge of the bed with your spouse before you go to sleep, or when you read a book to your children or grandchildren.
Of course it’s quite normal to talk about all sorts of everyday things; that’s normal day-to-day life. We all have stuff to talk about.
But why not intentionally try to also make your Bible conversation a regular and integral part of your life in your home. Do you think you could even aim to make it your number one topic?
That will take some intention and practise. But it WILL happen if you want it to.
Rabbi Rashi said of speaking about God’s commandments.
‘Speak of them’ – that your principal topic of conversation should be only about them; make them the main topic, not the secondary one. Rashi on Deuteronomy 6:7
When You Walk By The Way
… when you walk by the way …
Learn to walk and talk.
When Jesus joined two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus He seemed to launch straight into a conversation about the Torah and the prophets and how they revealed Him as Messiah.
Their hearts burned within them as He spoke.
Do you have that effect on people when you expound the Bible with others? You can if you want to! With just one question you can change ANY topic to the Word of God. Here’s one question you might use – ‘How do you think God views that?’
That walk on the beach with the children or the grandchildren could just be about the surf and the tennis ball (and there is nothing wrong with that) – or it could, in an instant become a fascinating object lesson and mystery about the Lord and His Word.
Ask this question – ‘Any ideas on how such an amazing shell came to be here?’ Or ‘I wonder why the surf only comes up to this level every day and never sinks all those houses up there.’
That romantic stroll or drive in the car could become a wonderful opportunity to draw nearer to each other by discussing Him and how He views your relationship—as individuals and as a couple.
Ever seen the box of Chinese fairy lights that has the instructions—‘For indoor and outdoor use only’. Have you discovered anywhere else you can hang Chinese fairy lights? Chinese fairy lights therefore are for use EVERYWHERE.
So too we are commanded to talk about the scripture—‘When you sit in your house and when you walk by the way’. It means ‘EVERYWHERE‘.
When You Lie Down And When You Rise Up
When the scripture tells me to speak of His commandments ‘when you lie down and when you rise up’, it tells me that the Lord wants His Word to be the centrepiece of our lives—a regular continuous occupation that lasts one’s whole lifetime.
‘When you lie down and when you rise up’ means ‘ALWAYS‘.
Since the days of the apostles the Jewish people have understood this to mean that the words of the Shema should be recited when a person wakes up in the morning and before a person retires at night and so through Rabbinical teaching on this, the reciting of the Shema has become an integral part of daily Jewish prayer life.
So our imperative is that we are to talk about the Word of God—EVERYWHERE and ALWAYS.
Like you, I lead quite a busy life, with both personal, business and ministry interests vying for my time, but I still believe that my spiritual life comes first—both prayer and His Word.
For myself, I like to recite the Shema every morning in my own morning prayer time and then again when I go to bed.
I also like to combine this with ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ which Jesus commanded us to pray daily. What a pure joy this habit been in my life. I sense the joy of His Spirit acutely and I always sleep soundly and wake refreshed; I believe it has to do with my commitment to prayer and the Word over the last nearly forty years.
Additionally, I try to make my home an exciting and fun place of family, food and song and, of course the Word of God.
My trips in the car usually alternate between business calls and podcasts.
I am a blessed member of a thriving congregation pastored by my son, which values the Word of God highly.
I also attend a weekly Life-group which focusses on the study of the Scriptures.
I have amazing children and grandchildren who love to talk about God and I tend to intentionally hunt down people who love the Lord and His Word—fellow Christians or my wonderful Jewish friends.
‘Speak of them’ EVERYWHERE and ALWAYS!
I encourage you to make the Word of God and simple prayer a part of your daily routine as well. You will sense the Lord’s Presence around you as you do – it is only one choice away.
And I conclude with this final prayer for you – that you too will find a friend like the one who I mentioned when I started this story—a friend who can’t wait to talk with you about the Lord—whenever you are together.
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