Be Careful

 Read the Bible Through

Aside from, "I love you," the most frequent thing my Mother has said to me, even in my adult life is, "Be careful!"  She told me this as a child when I was riding my bicycle, as a teen when I  was going out with my friends.  Even now. she will tell me this if I am going on a vacation, business trip,  going to exercise, if I am driving in the rain or going grocery shopping after dark.  "Be careful," is spoken even if I am driving the 5 minutes from my house to hers.  

As I read in Deuteronomy, the word 'careful' is used over and over as Moses is speaking to the people of Israel who now  stand on the cusp of  entering the land of promise.  

"Be careful to do as the Lord has commanded for you" Deut 5:32

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today" Deut 8:1

"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances and statues that I am giving you today." Deut  8:11

"Be careful that your heart doesn't become proud and you forget the Lore your God  who brought you up out of the land of Egypt " Deut 8:14

"Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, serve and bow in worship to other gods." Deut 11:16

"Be careful to  follow all the statutes and ordinances I set before you today,'" Deut 11:32

"Be careful to follow these statutes and ordinancs in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers has given you to possess all the days you live on the earth."  Deut 12:1

 "Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in all the sacred places you see." Deut 12:13

"Be careful not to neglect the Levite as you live in your land."  Deut 12:19

"Be careful to obey all the things I have commanded you sos that you and your children after you may prosper forever because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord."  Deut 12:28

"Be careful to not be ensnared by their ways" Deut 12:30

"Be careful to do everything I command you, do not add anything to it or take anything away." Deut 12:32 

Wow! Nothing like repetition to drive home a point and  Moses wants to make sure they take great care in their ways, especially in following the commands of the Lord.   

The Hebrew word for 'careful' is shamr which means to keep and observe, but it also means to guard.  It is the same word used in Genesis 2:15 when God put man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  Just as Adam was supposed to protect and care for this beautiful garden, he was also supposed to protect  the commands of God.  

Webster defines to word 'careful' as this:

• making sure of avoiding potential danger, mishap or harm
• anxious to protect (something) from harm or loss
• prudent in the use of something
• done with or showing thought and attention

When I think about the meaning of 'be careful" in light of what is being said in these verses, I realize that I have an awesome responsibility.  I need to protect God's Word. How do I do that?  We have to make sure the integrity of God's Word is maintained.  It doesn't take but a short time of watching TV or scrolling through internet or social media to realize that there are plenty of false teachers out there.  We must take all of what we hear and measure it up to God's infallible word.  

"As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others." Ephesians 4:14

We must know God's Word for ourselves.  Too often people rely on their preacher to teach them the Word. They simply trust what they are told and never search scriptures for themselves and fall victim of the false teaching of another.  The only way we can know when false teaching occurs is to  know the Word of God.

Secondly, in light of the definition and translation above  of "be careful," we are to be good stewards of the Word.  Just as Adam was entrusted to care for the garden, we are told to be prudent in the use of God's Word  A good steward intentionally protects and manages what he has been given, but also gives to those in need.   

Believers, we are in a world that is in need of the Word of God and I don't just mean to be brow beaten about their sin.  We need to be careful to point people toward a God who desires holiness in our life, while showing them the love He demonstrated on the cross and the grace and mercy available to all of us who believe.  That is what changes lives!!!!  In Moses speech (Deut 6:4-9) the people are told to be intentional in talking about the commands of the Lord to their children and when the go along in their daily life.  This will not happen if we are careless.  This gives us a new perspective-the teaching God's word to our children does not rest on the shoulders of the church-it rests on ours.  Taking God's word to those people in my everyday life rests on my shoulders.  Being careful in this regard, means we also must be intentional.

Although Moses instructed them to be careful about the commands of the Lord, that wasn't the only thing in which he told them to be intentional about.  He also wanted them to be careful to worship the Lord only, to not be ensnared by ways of the ungodly and to make sure they don't become proud.  

To be careful means that you give it all your attention, not just half heartedly. We show carefulness in what we talk about,  in our entertainment choices,  in how we perform our duties at work and in how we treat others. Carelessness leads to destruction but being careful will build up us, our family, our friends, co-workers and all those with whom we come in contact. So, in all your coming and going.....

BE CARELFUL!!!