Numbers 15:37-41 Reminders

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.  Numbers 15:37-41, ESV
 
When I worked as an engineer, there was one tool that I found to be invaluable: the yellow sticky note. The documents on my desk had little yellow tabs sticking out all over. There were yellow sticky notes on my overhead cabinets. Often there would be yellow sticky notes on my computer monitor. If I wanted to recall facts or remember to do something, I peeled off another sticky note.
 
In today’s passage, God instructs Israel to make tassels with blue chords and sew them on the corners of their garments to remind them of something: the need to obey. Trusting in their hearts (their passions) and their eyes (their understanding of the world around them) would not do. So God gave them a visual reminder of His commands to help them pursue holiness and follow Him, their God who rescued them from Egypt.
 
What kind of reminders do you have in place to help you follow Jesus? Maybe today would be a good day to take stock of them. Make a list. Then thank God for these reminders. Ask Him to use them to draw your attention back to Him whenever you are tempted to just follow your own heart or your own eyes.
 
I am praying for you.
 
Pastor Don