Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them…Tie them as symbols…Write them on the doorframes of your houses (Deut. 6:4-9).

When we visited Jerusalem earlier this year, a mezuzah adorned the exterior door of every room in our hotel. I’ve attached a photo, but for those unfamiliar, a mezuzah is a cylinder which houses a tiny scroll of Hebrew scripture. Affixed to the doorpost, it’s a physical reminder of that believer’s obligation to obey God’s commandments. We noticed observant Jews kissing their fingers and touching the mezuzah as they entered or left their hotel room. As we strolled the marketplace in Old Jerusalem, we saw highly decorative mezuzahs for sale. 

I’ve thought about those mezuzahs quite a bit since returning home. It’s easy to assume the kiss-touch-and-go could become routine, losing meaning even. And yet I kept coming back to the tangible remembrance of God’s commandments every single time I would enter or leave my home. Yes, I touch my Bible every morning, but my devotional content varies daily. Some of us have scripture verses on walls and refrigerators - also meant to be a remembrance - but they become almost invisible after a while (or is that only me?). But touching the mezuzah would remind me of the same thing every time: Have I obeyed God between my going and coming? Has His word permeated everything I tried to do today? I leave my house several times a day. I’d like to think the touching, the repetition of this reminder to remain in Him, to remember His commands, to cherish His blessing would stay fresh (even convicting) every time I touched my door. 

That reminder bit - that’s what God instructed the Israelites to do as they neared the Promised Land: remind themselves and their children of His commands and the blessings that attend obedience (vs.4-9). This was a mostly illiterate nation; they needed to hear God’s words. We’re a mostly literate people; we both read and hear scripture.

Here’s the thing about the mezuzah, though: you can only hear. That tiny scroll is rolled up tightly and encased in metal or wood. You’re not getting to it, so you have to remember what God has said. You have to hear it in your head as you touch the mezuzah. That means remembering. That involves repetition. That leads to the permeating influence of the Word. 

I’m not advocating we adopt the Jewish practice of affixing mezuzahs to our doorposts, but I also don’t think it’s such a bad idea either. Of course, even as our devotional time can become obligatory and those framed scripture verses can fade into the background, so, too, could touching a mezuzah. None of these prompts of remembrance means anything if we don’t take the time to think about them, to hear God’s word even as we read our Bible, ponder the verse, or touch the mezuzah. 

Consider how the Word of God affects your day. Does it govern your work, your thoughts, your home, your comings and goings? What reminder(s) would help the Word permeate the entirety of your day?