Ten Commandments, from Mom

I haven't been in Mom's journal for a while so I thought it was time to dig back in.  Her next entry was on the Ten Commandments.  She took the time to write out the whole of them.  Not a bad idea as it helps cement things in our minds when we write them out.  

Meditate on the Ten Commandments to learn God's moral nature and character. 

1.  I am the Lord your God Who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 

2.  You must not have any other God but me.   “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

3.  You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

5.  Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

6.  You must not murder.

7.  You must not commit adultery.

8.  You must not steal.

9.  You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

10.  You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

From me.

Good words work, even today.  God's commands to do not go out of style, they do not become old and stale, they apply today just as they did when He gave them.  Jesus summed it up when He said in Matthew 22:37-40 37 "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  And in Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would like them to do to you."  These words are still relevant today.  The more we meditate on them and make them part of ourselves, the easier it will become to walk in them.  And the closer we will be with our Lord and Savior.

Lord, make these commands of Yours the barriers in our lives.  Let them hem us in on all sides so that we stay safe on the road we walk with You.  These commands keep us on the narrow path, in your sheep pen where we can clearly hear Your voice.  Your commands make us wise, bring us peace and keep us close to You.  Give us hearts to obey and strength to keep these words.  It is in Jesus Name I pray, amen.

Take time to go over the Ten Commandments again.  Let it become a habit to read and think about them.