The tablet of your heart

If this new device enjoys the success of the iPod and iPhone, of which I am a huge fan, it will soon be seen everywhere, as myriads of people find they can't function well without the incredible applications that this new digital tablet makes possible. We do love our gadgets, and luxury items quickly seem to morph into necessities.

Isn't it interesting how words change in meaning over time? Not too many years ago, a tablet was what children used in school as a basic staple of note-taking, writing assignments and, of course, passing notes to friends while the teacher wasn't looking. Gong back to ancient times, a tablet was a slab or plaque suitable for bearing an inscription.

In the book of Exodus, we find the account of the Ten Commandments being given to Moses. In v. 12 of Exodus 24 it states, "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them." You know the story, Moses became very angry when he saw that the people had quickly reverted to paganism in his absence, and, in a rage, he threw the tablets of stone down and broke them. Later God replaced them, inscribing the law with His own finger (Exodus 31:18)

Interesting stories and examples, you might say, but what possible relevance could they have for me? It is a fair question and, of course, the Bible gives the answer.

Solomon, the wise king of Israel, used the tablet as an analogy in his instruction on wisdom and righteous conduct. In Proverbs 3:3-4 he wrote, "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Obviously, "the tablet of your heart" refers to one's mind and character, the true inner self which determines who we really are. Jesus Christ addressed issues of the heart when He spoke these words in Matthew 12:34-37, "…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

So, while we enjoy our technological advancements and the incredible digital tools, such as the tablet computer, to accomplish work, to communicate and to be entertained, we should not neglect another very important dimension of our lives. You see, wisdom and spiritual lessons should, as Solomon wrote, be inscribed on the tablet of our heart while we have time to "grow in grace and knowledge" (2 Peter 3:18).

To aid you in this important activity, we offer our flagship booklet The Ten Commandments, which contains and expounds the wonderful words found on the tablets of stone written by the finger of God. The booklet is free of any charge and can be downloaded or ordered at www.tomorrowsworld.org.