Today’s Encouragement is Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
You shall not –
It’s an unfortunate thing… the idea of a Commandment. Certainly God can and does command us. However, our TV and movies perception of an angry Charlton-Heston-Moses shouting through a raging voice “Thou shalt not!” is exactly how many of us perceive all of God’s commandments.
My friends, Almighty God loves you and me, He desires to help us know His Truth, Wisdom, and the Right way to live.
So, He graciously gave us rules to live by, which are called the Ten Commandments. Do these things and you will be blessed, and life will go much better for you; don’t do these things and you will suffer greatly and needlessly in this life.
For example, it’s pretty clear that murder is a bad thing for everyone involved, creates a lot of ill will between folks, to put it mildly.
Likewise, consider covetousness, desiring something that someone else has. Friends, ‘Do not covet’ is really good advice! Desiring something that another person has, coveting, is a guarantee of perpetual dissatisfaction!
Rather, we are advised to be content with what we have, and further to share what we have with those in need. These ideas are all solid truths to build a society, even a nation, upon.
And so goes each of God’s Commandments. Not shouted at us, but graciously given to us for our good, to save us from unnecessary suffering and trouble in this life… Because He loves us that much!
Father God as we read Your law, Your commandments, Your words of life to us, help us to hear them through Your loving, wise, and compassionate Father-heart for us. Thank You for the wisdom of the Bible.
The Perfect Wisdom of Our God
Keith & Kristyn Getty
Today’s Encouragement 