Cues to Recall God's Word

Scripture: Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined. Numbers 15:38-39

Observation: God gives this instruction to the Jews - to adorn their garments with a special tassel. They are to be on the corners of their robes, and have a blue thread. However, this is not an ornamental adornment for appearance purposes, but have an explicit function. The tassels are to remind the Jews, when they look at them, to remember the commandments of the Lord and to then obey the commands once remembered.

In other words, God understood that there are times a human mind wanders and either doesn't recall the right teachings of the law, or may simply not be thinking clearly. These tassels are to be a cue to trigger their right thinking and behavior. They are unique and ever-present, and thus even in just casual motion and talking the wearer will brush them and see them, and since they explicitly exist for no other reason than to remind them of the law, the wearer will surely recall God's word.

Application: I saw these tassels on the clothes and prayer shawls of over 100 Jewish men who were all on my flight to Rome a couple months ago. They were all dressed similarly, and their clothes had distinctive items, tassels included. In addition, I have noted before how God's instructions have also included tips to help us be obedient ... tips like this, to have a reminder that makes us remember his teaching and thus obey his word or correct our behavior in real time.

In my life, I have been taught various visual and physical cues intended to help me recall a mental state or memory. God understood this psychological state of us humans - the need for reminders.

The second - and harder - step, of course, is to apply meaning to these items. It isn't enough to see them, I must associated God's goodness and love and kindness, exemplified by his teachings, to them. Ultimately, the Jews associated the tassels to routine compliance, and while obedience is part of the point, the truth is compliance is a means to receiving blessing out of God's love.

I could use this in my spiritual life ... a cue to help me remember God's instructions, or return my attention out of some activity I am in and prioritize God's teaching in that moment, and to extend that thought into knowing God's love. Using such practical reminders isn't just wise, it is clearly biblical! I could place a verse on a post-it on my monitor. I already wear a wristband with a bible reference printed on it. This is a practice I can implement today.

Prayer: Lord, you are so wise in all your ways that you even give us simple and practical help. May I use your guidance to improve my behavior, thoughts, words, and deeds, and in turn to understand your amazing love even more. Amen.