Whenever I read Scripture, I get hung up on the words. I’m always on the lookout for a word that strikes me, particularly one that gets translated differently. A maddening mystery I feel compelled to solve!

Consider the little word “incline” in today’s Scripture. Joshua, as he leads people into the Promised Land and is about to die, utters his famous twofold command: Put away other gods and incline your hearts to the LORD.

The first bit of advice seems easy enough – until you read about how often idolatry proved a problem to the Israelites. Truth be told, if an idol is anything that takes time, energy and resources that I should devote to loving God and my neighbors... well, idolatry still seems to have a pretty good hold, at least in me.

So, what can I do about that, right now, today? The answer comes from that little word, “incline.” It can be translated as: stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend, pitch (like a tent), bow, turn aside. . . the list of meanings spreads out just like the word itself implies.

I love the physical nature of the word – lean in. Listen close. Catch the whisper of the One who loves you. Because love is what it’s all about at this crucial point in the Promised Land, for the Israelites as well as for us.

If loving God and neighbor form the great commandments, then we should be busy about God’s business, loving Him and His people.

But how? Well, according to this little word, we should lean towards God.

That might mean reading a page or two of the Bible, so that God's voice gets into my heart through my eyes. Or setting aside time for silence, in case God speaks by His Spirit. Or asking God for all that concerns my heart – my own needs, the needs of others, the cares of this world.

But mostly, it might mean realizing that we have somehow turned a deaf ear to holy things, and that the hour has come to lean back towards Jesus, the source of life – softening our hearts, leaning towards the Holy, basking in Christ's love, and sharing it as well.

So let us incline our hearts towards God, letting Him fill us with His love. Then let us lean towards God's children, that this 'lean of love' might spill out everywhere.

God bless you!

Andrew