Devotional for December 13th
Israel, listen to me. Here are the rules and laws I’m announcing to you today. Learn them well. Be sure to follow them.
Deuteronomy 5:1
PAUSE: After Moses and the Israelites left Egypt, they lived in the desert. It was a long journey to get to the land God had promised them. They were tired, hungry, and hot. They began to complain. God had set them free from Pharaoh and led them across the Red Sea on dry land but still they were not happy. They said, “God doesn’t care for us! Did He lead us out here to let us die in the desert?” But God was showing them He wanted to help them. He sent food when they were hungry. He even made water flow from a rock when they were thirsty. But they kept complaining and tried to do their own things to make them happy. So God asked Moses to come up the mountain with Him. There He gave Moses a list of 10 Commandments to help the people learn to obey God and show others they were different. God etched the 10 Commandments on two stone tablets that Moses carried down from the mountain. The Israelites agreed to follow the 10 Commandments. But God knew His people would not always obey His instruction ALL of the time. We all sin and make mistakes. But God knew He had a plan to send Jesus to save us from our sins. Jesus is the perfect example of how we should live. When we choose to obey the commands God gave us, we show God how thankful we are. The 10 Commandments are for us today as well. You can show love to others and to God by following these rules.
- There is only one God.
- Worship no one else but God.
- Use God’s name in special ways.
- Use the sabbath to honor God.
- Respect your mom and dad.
- Never kill anyone.
- Love the person you marry.
- Never steal anything that isn’t yours.
- Don’t tell lies.
- Be content with what you have.
PRAY: Thank you God for giving us the 10 Commandments to follow. Show us when we are not being obedient to You. Thank you for sending Jesus to save us from our sins even though we fall short of being perfect. Amen.
FAMILY ACTIVITY: Ask the following questions to your kids: If your “neighbor” has a toy truck you want, what do you do? Think of how much you love your “doll”, God wants us to love Him more; If we ask you to pick up your trains and put them away, how does God want you to respond?