Buckle-Up
“Why do you always forget to buckle up,” our five-year-old asked as I pulled out of the driveway. “It doesn't matter,” I said, “I have you to remind me.” “And Dah-dee,” she said, “You have Dah-dee to remind you from heaven.” I smiled as I pulled the strap of the seat belt over my shoulder. The first time she started pestering me about buckling up I told her she was just like her father, he too used to reprimand me about wearing my seat belt, and now his mini-me was taking over the reins quite nicely. “Yes, you are right, I have you and Dah-dee to remind me to buckle up.”
Remember those “Buckle-Up” campaigns? They had some great ideas to motivate people to do the right thing. “Buckle-Up, Buttercup!” “Buckle-Up, it's the Law!” “Buckle-Up, it Could Save Your Life!” “Someone Needs You, Buckle-Up!” “Buckle-Up, do it for you and them!”
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your sons and your grandsons, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you; a land flowing with milk and honey” (6:1-3). In Deuteronomy 6, Moses speaks to the Israelites giving them a command and a warning. Moses instructed the people to take these commands to heart, to take them everywhere they went, to bind them in their hands, write them on their doorposts, and diligently teach them to their children (6-12). They were about to enter the Promised Land, a land where God had provided all they needed. There was a danger that they would forget, forget the LORD who had loved them, protected them, and provided for them, the LORD who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage (10-12).
Joshua would be the one who actually led the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. Once they crossed the Jordan River, the LORD instructed Joshua to have one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel gather a stone. These stones would be set up as a memorial to serve as a reminder to the people and their children of all of the wonderful things God had done (Josh. 4:1-9). You ever notice how easy it is to forget the good things but it seems like bad things are seared into our memories forever? That is why the Israelites needed to be reminded of the goodness of God. That is why we need to be reminded of the goodness of God. When you don’t recognize God’s love, when you don’t recognize His workings in your life, when you don’t remember the things He has done for you, it is hard to trust. If you don’t trust God, your children won’t trust God and before you know it, we have generations of people who don’t know or trust God.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website states that “seatbelts have saved a total of 374,276 lives from 1975 to 2017.” They say, “Seat belts really do make the difference between life and death.” There are all types of dangers lurking around the corners of our lives but the greatest danger is forgetting God.
Who do you have reminding you of God's love? Who do you have reminding you of His Word? Who are you reminding? Are you teaching your children about the goodness of the LORD? As believers, our safety belts are made of more than nylon and polyester filament, our safety belts are the armor of God, the breastplate of righteousness, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephes. 6:14-17). This is our protection in this world and it really does make the difference between life and death, so, Buckle-Up, Buttercup, it’s the law of God! Buckle up, it will save your life! Someone needs you to remind them to Buckle-Up! Do it for yourself, do it for your children.
