Today Daily Devotional

“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

— Matthew 22:40

As boys, my brothers and I often played a Bible trivia game at our grandmother’s house. The game cards helped to hone our knowledge of various facts in the Bible. “Name the twelve tribes of Israel.” “Name the twelve apostles.” “List the Ten Commandments in order.” Today, I’m not sure I could answer any of these questions without stumbling.I can, however, give a basic summary of the Ten Commandments. When tested by a teacher of the law, Jesus did that for us. He summarized God’s two main principles for living in a right relationship with the Lord and with others. Drawing on the foundation of the entire Old Testament, Jesus said, in effect, “You shall love God with your entire being, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matthew 22:37-40).If we distill Jesus’ summary a step further, we also find the essential keyword: love.Tragically, since the fall into sin, our natural inclination is to hate God and others. Only when God has renewed our hearts can we truly love him. We can also begin truly loving others. And when we truly love others, we demonstrate that we truly love God.Though our love for God and others will never be perfect, the perfect love on which the Ten Commandments are based is perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. There’s nothing trivial about Christ’s perfect love. His perfect love should be our highest aim as we seek to follow him.

Our Father in heaven, remold our hearts to love you truly and to love others as we love ourselves. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

— Philippians 4:8

Some people claim that we can establish a good habit in as little as 21 days. Others say it takes much longer—between 66 and 254 days—to form a good habit. By sheer effort and discipline, can we will ourselves into a habit of keeping the Ten Commandments?No. We can only begin on a new path of living for the Lord when we recognize that we need our sins forgiven through Christ and as the Holy Spirit breathes new, eternal life into us. Then, although initiating and achieving righteousness is not up to us, we are responsible to live as God calls us to do.In our reading for today the apostle Paul offers some helpful instructions for focusing our minds on practical Christian living. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” he says. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Paul also urges that we focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Then, day by day, as we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25), we can form holy habits that please God.When we concentrate on what’s pleasing to God while striving, in the Spirit, to obey him in gratitude, we become more loving toward him and others. 

Holy Spirit, thank you for the gift of redeeming love. Renew our hearts and desires in Jesus to focus on pleasing you and loving others. Amen.

I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

— Romans 7:7

Most people agree that the commandments we have been discussing lately—about promoting justice, honesty, respect for others and their property, and more—offer clear, practical boundaries for living together in society. Guidelines like these are found in all kinds of societies around the world.We might even think, like many of God’s people in ancient Israel did, that keeping these commands is possible. But the law doesn’t satisfy God’s requirements for our hearts. The apostle Paul painfully realized this when he wrestled with the darkness in his own heart. Though he thought he had been able to keep these commandments through his actions, he was cut to the heart when he read, “You shall not covet.” God commands that we show love not only through our actions but also with our hearts. By this standard, we are all guilty of failing to love others.Thankfully, our heart problem can be solved. “While we were still sinners,” Paul writes in Romans 5:8, “Christ died for us.” Jesus is the only one who could ever satisfy the demands of God’s law for perfect obedience and love. And since we are forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sake, the Holy Spirit gives us new hearts directed toward loving God and our neighbors.Our new life in Christ moves us beyond mere outward obedience. By trusting Jesus, our restless hearts find true satisfaction in him alone, so that we can truly love others. 

Jesus, thank you for rescuing us. By your Spirit, fill our hearts so that we can love others as you have loved us. Amen.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

— Philippians 4:11

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, the right antidote can neutralize or block the venom that begins spreading into your body. The antidote can prevent death or even sickness.Spiritually speaking, the sin of coveting can also introduce a poison that can lead to committing other sins in our lives.The tenth commandment forbids us from coveting anything that belongs to our neighbor. When we covet what belongs to others, we develop a deep longing for what they have, and these other persons become little more than an obstacle to the fulfillment of our desires. Coveting becomes intertwined with envy, and these sins diminish us too, by making our spirits restless and filling our hearts with the toxins of bitterness and resentment.But the Bible offers a powerful spiritual antidote. Paul wrote to the Philippians from prison, where everything had been taken from him, including his freedom. And he offers his own straightforward prescription: learn to live in contentment with what God has already graciously provided. At the most basic level, contentment means trusting that God knows what’s best for us and will always provide what we need. Deep contentment also leads us to rejoice in what God has graciously given to others.Contentment is not a quickacting antidote. It comes gradually through the long, sometimes painful process of dying to ourselves and being made new in Christ, who died for us. 

Lord, forgive our coveting. Help us to look to you for all good things and to rejoice in all you have given others. Amen.

Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

— Ephesians 4:15

Sometimes hard conversations are necessary. Perhaps you need to discuss a painfully difficult situation with a family member, a neighbor, or a colleague. Maybe you are dreading it, but you know you must do it. The hardest part of a difficult conversation is to strike the right balance between speaking honestly and speaking with compassion. Speaking without honesty and truth risks misunderstanding, and speaking without compassion risks destroying the relationship.When we need help with hard conversations, the apostle Paul provides some sound spiritual wisdom. After laying out the rock-solid foundation of Jesus Christ in the life of the church, Paul provides practical advice in Ephesians 4 for living together in maturity and unity. According to Paul, though Christ has given some members in the church gifts for teaching and leadership, he calls every member to grow in maturity and to strive for unity in the church. Then we will not be blown around “by every wind of teaching” and “deceitful scheming,” he says. Instead, we will grow mature as we speak the truth in love.With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and blessing, when we keep truth and love in balance, we can expect that growth and maturity will take place in the body of Christ. Truth and love should guide all of our conversations, whether they are easy or difficult. 

Lord, you speak to us with truth and love wherever we are. Help us also to speak with others in all situations with truth and love. Amen.

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said. . . .

— Genesis 3:4

Sometimes we might hear or even tell little lies in attempts to be polite or to spare someone’s feelings. Though not recommended, those kinds of lies are far different from lies that are told out of callous self-interest for personal gain or even malice to harm others. Of all the lies told in history, the most blatant, malicious lie of all took place when the devil tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).There Satan, appearing as a serpent, lied about the consequences of disobeying God’s command not to eat the fruit of one of the trees in the garden. In this way the devil aimed to thwart God’s design for his creation and to mar his human creatures forever. Satan lied about God’s own truthfulness. His false insinuation awakened a jealousy and desire in our first parents, and the results have reverberated across our world ever since that day, causing hostility, suffering, and death. Jesus came to save us from the certain destruction we would face, and he called Satan out as “the father of lies.”How do we overcome the deadly shadow of lies in our world? We do so by acknowledging that God never lies (Hebrews 6:18) and that he hates lying. And we turn to Jesus, the true light and living truth (John 14:6), asking him to help us recognize the truth and to share it with our neighbors everywhere. Doing so, we begin to participate in God’s redemption plan by sharing his truthfulness and love with all people. 

Father of light, may our words embody your truth in genuine love and mercy always. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

— Exodus 20:16

Courtroom dramas can make for interesting and engaging stories. Why? Because often in a court of law, two of the most basic concerns for living together in society come into sharp focus: truth and justice. These two main concepts are the foundational principles behind the ninth commandment: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”In settling a dispute between two parties, the ancient people of Israel had neither a police force nor crime labs to produce evidence. They had to rely on the testimony of witnesses to resolve legal disputes. This was especially true in highstakes cases involving murder. Only on the testimony of at least two witnesses could the truth of a crime be discovered. Then justice could be served to protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable. And if a witness was found to be a liar, that person received the harshest of penalties (Deuteronomy 19:19).Justice in society is impossible without truth-telling. When all that people ever hear is lies, their life together as citizens and neighbors is reduced to uncertainty and chaos. Sadly, because of rampant lying and disinformation in our societies today, it’s difficult to trust anything some people say. We need to see the utter importance of telling the truth.God never lies. Nor should we, as we seek to love him and our neighbors. 

With the power of your words, Lord, you created the heavens and the earth. Help us to honor you and others with truthful words always. Amen.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands. . . . .

— 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Have you noticed that most of the Ten Commandments begin with a negative order, saying, “You shall not . . .”? In commandments six through ten, the negative orders set clear, concrete boundaries for how we are to treat people. Without the command “You shall not steal,” for instance, it would be impossible to live together with our neighbors. Stealing and deceit destroy trust and create enemies.In his letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, Paul offers solid advice for respecting the property of others: “Work with your hands.” Does this mean the Bible only approves of livelihoods involving manual labor? No, we can glorify God and love others with all kinds of honorable work we can do. What Paul suggests in this passage is that work itself is good. Work is a gift and a resource, and it reflects our Maker, who works faithfully with all kinds of creativity. When we work diligently, using the gifts and talents that God gives us, we earn others’ respect and avoid being overly dependent.Theft has been with us since human beings fell into sin. But today it can seem as if taking advantage of others and their possessions is more rampant than ever. In contrast, by using what God gives us in gratitude and contentment, we can show others how to live in community as God has designed us to do. And this can help us share with others what God has given us. 

Lord, all that we have is a gift from you. Help us to use our gifts and talents to share your love and your blessings to us with others. Amen.

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

— Ephesians 4:28

Can you guess what the most common crime is in any country?If you guess that stealing is the most common crime, that’s right—shoplifting, burglary, identity theft, credit card fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, graft, car theft, plagiarism, and more. There are so many ways to steal from others that it can be tricky to list them all.In the eighth commandment —“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15)—we can see that God loathes theft.Why does God condemn the taking of others’ property, possessions, and more?The root problem is that when we take what God has given to others, even in small amounts, we demean them. We do so by reducing others and their possessions to “resources” that we want to use or just keep for ourselves. Moreover, when we take from others, we rob them of the opportunity to be stewards of what God has given them to show gratitude to him and to bless others. Ultimately, theft isn’t just a shifting of property and possessions; it shows contempt for the fact that we are “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”The eighth commandment reminds us that in trusting God for our own needs, we also display our love for others.

Lord, God, all that we have is a trust from you. Help us to faithfully take care of and use what you have given us and to protect what you have given to others. Amen.

“You shall not steal.”

— Exodus 20:15

The story of Achan in Joshua 7 is very disturbing. During the battle for Jericho, Achan steals an ornate robe along with a hoard of silver and gold. Knowing he has committed a serious sin, Achan buries the stolen goods under his tent. Achan’s wrongdoing highlights the truth that the cost of breaking the eighth commandment —“You shall not steal”—can be enormous.Achan cheated God, who had commanded the Israelites to take no plunder for themselves at the battle of Jericho.But Achan wasn’t the first person to cheat God. That started when our first parents took fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). In stealing from God, Adam, Eve, and many others revealed their dishonesty and a lack of trust in God’s promises to provide for all their needs. God hates our dishonesty and our failure to trust in his assured provision. In Achan’s case, not only did he and his family suffer the most drastic consequences, but the whole nation of Israel suffered also. The consequences of Adam and Eve’s theft were even more dire, affecting all of their descendants, including each of us. Yet even in their sin, we see God’s goodness toward the guilty. Right at the scene of their crime, God promises a Savior to crush the devil who tempted them to sin (Genesis 3:15), and Jesus’ finished work provides forgiveness for all who believe in him.

Lord, all that we have comes from you. Help us to trust in you to provide for all our needs and, above all, our need for your Son, Jesus. Amen.