The Instrument Panel (Frontlets to our Eyes)
Introduction. An instrument panel has been a standard feature on cars for decades. It is designed to inform a driver about the status of the most important functions of the car. Placed right in front of our eyes, it gives us critical information at a glance. Speed and fuel get the most attention, but engine temperature, oil pressure and battery charge are also very important. A wise driver makes good use of these instruments. They give important feedback on conditions too important to leave to our own estimates. We could guess how fast we were going or how much gas we have left in the tank, but subjective human opinion is never reliable. We need objective gauges that give us exact factual information.
While so much effort has been put forth to monitor a car, have we made the important application that we must do the same thing with our soul? God has given us key things to monitor and we all need to develop the best possible means to do so. The process is described by God to Israel. “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” (Deut. 11:18).
Once we decide to use God’s word as our objective standard to assess our conduct and life, creating a spiritual instrument panel with gauges is both logical and essential. The Bible uses an equivalent word “frontlet” (Ex. 13:16; Deut. 6:8; Deut. 11:18) to describe figuratively keeping the scriptures distinctly in view and paying careful attention to them.
As we study His words we will find areas of grave danger or great importance to us. It only makes sense to make a special frontlet for those things. Because of the important role faith plays in our salvation, we need frontlets to assess that faith often. Since “faith comes by hearing the word of God,” we will place our reading and learning of the Scriptures like the speedometer as a frontlet we are constantly aware of and assessing. Our attendance of classes, sermons, and our daily bible reading take a central role in our assessment.
Without gauges (frontlets), everything becomes relative. How we feel about it, what we hope and believe it to be can easily mislead. If we can only guess the engine temperature, we won’t know until too late that a small water leak is overheating the engine. There is nothing more comforting when a police car enters our rearview mirror than a glance at the gauge to see we are under the speed limit. The same principles apply to the needs of our soul. We need the clear objective standards found in the Scriptures to create the frontlets that inform us of how we are progressing.
As we lay up God’s word in our heart, we must become selective regarding our frontlets. There is only so much room before our eyes. So the most important things must be placed there. As we read the lists of the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-5:18; Col. 3:1-10), we find many different lusts listed. But we don’t need frontlets for all of them. Only those we personally struggle with need to become frontlets. So as we study them for the first time, we choose those that are troublesome and place them in a prominent position in our attention and concern.
This is the only way we can do what Paul commanded to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:14). If we have not created the frontlet (gauge) to monitor our lusts, we will have already fulfilled them before we even knew we were making provisions. Since “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (Jas. 1:14), we need a frontlet there to identify it even before we reach the enticement stage. For example, Joseph’s frontlet led him to remember God's will in the initial stages of the enticement and flee (Gen. 39:9). In contrast, David did not have a frontlet as he was enticed by Bathsheba’s bathing and soon found himself making provisions to fulfill his lust (2 Sam. 11). We can’t “flee youthful lusts” unless we are aware of and watching for them, and prepared to flee at the first sign of danger.
All instruments were created as an objective means to assess important things. Yet we don’t own all the gauges. Some of us have blood pressure cuffs and others do not. If my blood pressure is not a problem, I don’t monitor it because it is not a danger or concern to me. While diabetics have glucose monitors and those with lung or circulation issues purchase a pulse oximeter, most people have no concern for such things and do not own the gauge. But when our physical health becomes important enough for us to monitor such things, we will purchase and use them. If my next dose of medication is based on that gauge, it will definitely become a frontlet for my eyes.
With the importance or our soul and our service to God, we certainly do not want “the sons of this world for their own generation” to be “wiser than the sons of the light.” (Lk. 16:8). How will we defend ourselves if we are wise enough to use a gauge for the health of our car or our body, but not wise enough to develop the necessary frontlets for the salvation of our soul?
Wise Christians need to set up their own equivalent of gauges to monitor the most important parts of their relationship with God. We can create “frontlets” to monitor how well we are laying up His word in our heart, by using an annual Bible reading chart. We can created a specific time each day to pray and then monitor how much time and how sincere and devoted we are while praying. We can create a frontlet to assess of our spiritual growth and development, our evangelistic efforts, our repentance and confession of each sin. Or for how our youthful lusts are affecting our lives.
Conclusion. The Scriptures give us the objective means to accurately assess the status of our soul, but how many of us have created the proper frontlets/gauges? What would have to occur in our life before we would become alarmed? How early would the warning signs appear so we would stop before serious damage is done?
Here are some of the passages that would create excellent frontlets for our eyes.
While so much effort has been put forth to monitor a car, have we made the important application that we must do the same thing with our soul? God has given us key things to monitor and we all need to develop the best possible means to do so. The process is described by God to Israel. “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” (Deut. 11:18).
Once we decide to use God’s word as our objective standard to assess our conduct and life, creating a spiritual instrument panel with gauges is both logical and essential. The Bible uses an equivalent word “frontlet” (Ex. 13:16; Deut. 6:8; Deut. 11:18) to describe figuratively keeping the scriptures distinctly in view and paying careful attention to them.
As we study His words we will find areas of grave danger or great importance to us. It only makes sense to make a special frontlet for those things. Because of the important role faith plays in our salvation, we need frontlets to assess that faith often. Since “faith comes by hearing the word of God,” we will place our reading and learning of the Scriptures like the speedometer as a frontlet we are constantly aware of and assessing. Our attendance of classes, sermons, and our daily bible reading take a central role in our assessment.
Without gauges (frontlets), everything becomes relative. How we feel about it, what we hope and believe it to be can easily mislead. If we can only guess the engine temperature, we won’t know until too late that a small water leak is overheating the engine. There is nothing more comforting when a police car enters our rearview mirror than a glance at the gauge to see we are under the speed limit. The same principles apply to the needs of our soul. We need the clear objective standards found in the Scriptures to create the frontlets that inform us of how we are progressing.
As we lay up God’s word in our heart, we must become selective regarding our frontlets. There is only so much room before our eyes. So the most important things must be placed there. As we read the lists of the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-5:18; Col. 3:1-10), we find many different lusts listed. But we don’t need frontlets for all of them. Only those we personally struggle with need to become frontlets. So as we study them for the first time, we choose those that are troublesome and place them in a prominent position in our attention and concern.
This is the only way we can do what Paul commanded to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:14). If we have not created the frontlet (gauge) to monitor our lusts, we will have already fulfilled them before we even knew we were making provisions. Since “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (Jas. 1:14), we need a frontlet there to identify it even before we reach the enticement stage. For example, Joseph’s frontlet led him to remember God's will in the initial stages of the enticement and flee (Gen. 39:9). In contrast, David did not have a frontlet as he was enticed by Bathsheba’s bathing and soon found himself making provisions to fulfill his lust (2 Sam. 11). We can’t “flee youthful lusts” unless we are aware of and watching for them, and prepared to flee at the first sign of danger.
All instruments were created as an objective means to assess important things. Yet we don’t own all the gauges. Some of us have blood pressure cuffs and others do not. If my blood pressure is not a problem, I don’t monitor it because it is not a danger or concern to me. While diabetics have glucose monitors and those with lung or circulation issues purchase a pulse oximeter, most people have no concern for such things and do not own the gauge. But when our physical health becomes important enough for us to monitor such things, we will purchase and use them. If my next dose of medication is based on that gauge, it will definitely become a frontlet for my eyes.
With the importance or our soul and our service to God, we certainly do not want “the sons of this world for their own generation” to be “wiser than the sons of the light.” (Lk. 16:8). How will we defend ourselves if we are wise enough to use a gauge for the health of our car or our body, but not wise enough to develop the necessary frontlets for the salvation of our soul?
Wise Christians need to set up their own equivalent of gauges to monitor the most important parts of their relationship with God. We can create “frontlets” to monitor how well we are laying up His word in our heart, by using an annual Bible reading chart. We can created a specific time each day to pray and then monitor how much time and how sincere and devoted we are while praying. We can create a frontlet to assess of our spiritual growth and development, our evangelistic efforts, our repentance and confession of each sin. Or for how our youthful lusts are affecting our lives.
Conclusion. The Scriptures give us the objective means to accurately assess the status of our soul, but how many of us have created the proper frontlets/gauges? What would have to occur in our life before we would become alarmed? How early would the warning signs appear so we would stop before serious damage is done?
Here are some of the passages that would create excellent frontlets for our eyes.
- But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. (Heb. 10:38)
- Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts. (Rom. 1:21)
- abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, (1Pet. 2:11)
- praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- (Eph. 6:18)
- pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Th. 5:17-18)
- giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Eph. 5:20)
- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn. 1:9)
- But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22)
- This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Josh. 1:8)