Mind

Mind

But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds so they will understand them, and I will write them on their hearts so they will obey them.

Hebrews 8:10

In Old Testament times God’s laws were written on stones, but the stones did not provide the power to live them out. God promised blessings to those who memorized God’s words and taught them to their children, and the people who chose to do so experienced the wisdom and influence that his truth provides. But having God’s truth written in their minds and hearts was not something humans could experience until Jesus provided a new covenant through his death on the cross.

Christian moms have a special understanding of this principle. We realize that it is our responsibility to teach our children God’s Word and to guide them with God’s principles. But as they grow older and mature, we pray that they will build a personal relationship with God, through Christ, so that his Spirit will write truth in their minds and hearts. A law from the outside may guide a person, but it can never change him or her. For our behavior to change, God’s truth must become part of our inner life, and that can happen only when God’s Spirit lives inside us.

This principle about heart change is illustrated in a story about two caterpillars crawling across the grass. When a butterfly flew over them, they looked up, and one nudged the other, saying, “You couldn’t get me up in one of those things for a million dollars!” It took an internal change before the caterpillars could fly, and that’s necessary for us too. Changes that could never happen from the outside begin to take place when God’s laws are written on our minds and hearts!

Father,

Thank you that when we enter into a relationship with you through Jesus Christ, your laws are written on our minds and in our hearts. Please help us to be obedient to the promptings of your truth through the help of your Spirit. Amen.