For the last year of so, as a homeschool family we have embarked on a journey into the Old Testament on the study of Exodus. We are halfway through our book and we have continued to be in awe of the wonderful love God showed the Israelites. I wonder if I had to endure all that the Israelites had to, would I still love the Lord and follow him with an obedient heart?
Of course I would, well, maybe. I honestly don't know. I do know that running in this Texas heat doesn't come near to being in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes your are wearing and maybe a few extra things if I was able to carry them on the trip to the Promise Land.
Okay, maybe if I knew that I would be well fed and sheltered. But that's not what the Israelites encountered. They had to trust God. Now that takes a lot of faith.
Faith. It was that simple. Look at what God did for them.
- (God) Parted the Red Sea
- (God) Gave them Heavenly Manna to eat
- (God)Forgave them when they worshiped the Golden Calf
- (God) Gave them rules to abide by that would make their life so much easier.
Which brings me to this:
Our study this last Sunday led us to the ten commandments. As I was driving home from church this past Sunday, I thought about all the signs and rules we follow as we drive to our destination. The cops were especially watching that day as I made my way home. If I don't follow the rules of the road, I could get a ticket. An expensive one in fact. If I choose to not pay that ticket, I could go to jail.
But what happens if I don't follow one of the ten commandments?
Who will know if I broke one of them?
Why would I need to tell anyone?
Answer: I sin, God knows, You're right about that one. God knows.
Which then led me to think about the freedom we have here in America to choose our beliefs.
Which come in the form of all the great teachers such as Muhammad, Gandhi, Confucius, gurus such as Yogananda, religious leaders such as The Pope, Joseph Smith and John Wesley with all their teachings and philosophies. You have so many choices. Why choose? And if I do choose, who do I put my trust in?
Answer: First Commandment
How about this saying, "God is within you, You are God." Really? That makes no sense to me. If I were God, I would have my life in order. I wouldn't be depressed or sad. I wouldn't have doubts or fears or pain. Isn't a God supreme? Isn't a God all healing? I'm definitely not Supreme and I am not all healing. I can't even get out of bed sometimes. If I were a God, I would have enough strength to do such an easy task.
Nope, I am not God. I don't ever want to believe that I am God. Which brings me to the ten commandments and how we as Christians and also non-believers should live in this world.
The Ten Commandments (with my viewpoint below)
1. I am the Lord thy God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
There is no other. God is number one. He is Supreme. Not Muhammad, Gandhi, The Pope,Joseph Smith or John Wesley. Those are people who share/who have shared their philosophies with the world. We should not worship anyone of these.
2. Thou shall have no other Gods before me.
Yup. Gods. Meaning more than one. For years I made running my god. Before I would even get out of bed, I would think about my run the next day. I would wake up early in the morning, run, come home and continue on to my day. Now, I am not saying that we shouldn't do these things that we love, but we should make God first. Now I get up early, read my Bible, pray and then run in the afternoon when my day is complete.
Have you made money your God? We can easily do this when we want to work and work and not give to the body of Christ. If you haven't committed your life to God, you can still give. There's plenty of organizations that need your help. The homeless, the widows, people suffering from cancer. Do not make money your God.
3. Thou shall no take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
This is pretty simple. Don't put God in the same sentence as a curse word. Those two don't mix.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days. On the seventh day he rested. We should rest. Some celebrate the Sabbath on a Saturday. Most of us, like myself celebrate it on Sunday.
I don't work on Sundays due to this. We should also make it a point to attend Sunday School as well. Go to church.
5. Honor your Father and your Mother.
Our parents gave us life. They helped us to become who we are. If you had a bad childhood, I'm Sorry. Make it a point to reverse the cycle when you have children of your own. Help your parents if your able. Give to them. They gave you so much and continue to. If your parents are no longer on this earth, find someone you can adopt as your parents. Give them your time. Elderly people need our love.
6. Thou shall not murder.
I always remember this as 6 6 6, the number of the beast. Which means Satan. All he wants to do is to destroy us. He wants to rid us of this earth. Too bad, he's already used many people to carry out his plan. You can also murder with your words. You can kill someones spirit by saying mean and unkind words that scar a person for life. Choose your words wisely.
7. Thou shall not commit adultery.
Is this a little too personal? It's real. Many families are destroyed due to adultery. Even looking at another person with lustful eyes is adultery. When we marry, we marry into the body of Christ. Love your spouse with all your heart. Let God's love fill your heart. Do not destroy a sacred unity.
8.Thou shall not steal.
Sure you didn't mean to take those extra set of pens from work. Hey, you need them at home too? Nope. That's stealing. Leave what you weren't given at work. Even if it means you have to go to the store and buy your own set. If you didn't get permission from your boss to take them, then they are not yours. We can also steal with our time. Too much media, facebook, instagram and computer time steals time away from your family. It steals time away from God. You could be reading your Bible, a book or helping a neighbor in need.
9. Thou shall not lie.
Many of you have heard of the term, White Lie. A white lie is a minor or harmless lie. A fib.(and no, I don't mean A-fib, atrial fibrillation. Ha!!!!)
Sure, I play jokes on my kids, but they know I'm joking around with them. What happens if we decided that our moral code would include a white lie every once in awhile. Well, in time, those white lies add up and we become liars. People then start questioning our commitment to God. If I say I am a Christian, I want to hold that truth up to the highest standard.
10. Thou shall not covet.
Covet. To want what someone else wants. Sure, I've been longing for a baby for 2 years now. Every time I see a baby, I yearn to hold it. I want one so bad. When I obsess on that every waking moment of my life, I have not only created an injustice to myself, but to also my children who need me to physically be there for them.
Although hugs from a 10 month old are a bit sweeter smelling, I'll take a hug from my smelly 13 year old any hour of the day.
( Just in case you didn't know this, Zach gives me 100 hugs a day).
Be happy with what you have. Be happy that no one else can do the things that you do, the way you do them. And as much as I love babies, I am enjoying these moments with my kids where I don't have to chase after them 24/7. We are all in different seasons of our lives. Embrace it. Enjoy it!
Today our memory verse comes form Psalm 128:1
Blessed is all who fears the Lord, who walk in his ways.
(Click on the link below to listen to the song. Scroll down the page to Songs: Click to listen:
Song #9 Walk in his ways Psalm 128:1)
Until Next Time,
Eat Organic,
Eat Gluten-Free,
Jennifer
Be Blessed!!!!
