Loud and Clear

Day 25: Deuteronomy 28 (I caught up off line)

Amazing blessings, "small" requirement.

All these blessings could be yours IF you obey the Lord your God. It's noteworthy to me that the blessings don't simply make my own life 'better', but these types of blessings listed also affect the people around me.

My city, my children, my 'flocks', my food, my land. Everything in my life, everyone in my life benefits (essentially) when I choose to obey the Lord.

I'm writing these two phrases on a card this week:

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. (maybe put this on a door)

If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom

The Ten Commandments

Reading 18: Exodus 20

I keep coming back to the very first phrase of this chapter:

"And God spoke all these words"

It was important to the writer that we understand these are God's rules, from God's very mouth. These are not arbitrary laws, created to oppress a people just escaping from oppression. These are encouragements to pattern a lifestyle.

If I could take these commandments to heart in my own life, think of how much easier life could be? I heard a sermon once on the fact that the first 4 govern my relationship with God, and the last 6 govern my relationship with other people.

1. No other gods
2. No false images
3. No misusing God's name
(in other words, just 'cause you tack God's name on to it doesn't mean He endorses it.)
4. Keep the Sabbath
5. Honor mom and dad
6. No murdering
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No lying
10. No coveting other people's stuff