Spiritual Guidelines
This devotion series is brought to you by Pastor Ricky Jacob, serving the Winnebago people at Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool.
You can read the devotion below, or listen to it here.
Today I would like to talk with all of you who are the head of the household or someday plan to be the head of a household. I would like you to reflect on what you will teach your family when it comes to spiritual guidelines. God has placed parents in a position of authority and has entrusted you with responsibilities as parents of your children. One such responsibility is in spiritual matters, and yes spiritual matters really do matter!
A long time ago on the other side of the world, God handed down ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, [present day Saudi Arabia]. God actually engraved them on two stone tablets. These ten commands were meant to be followed by all people throughout history.
Today we will focus on these words: "You shall have no other gods before me." A songwriter once put this command to music. I will spare you of my attempt at singing it, here are the words:
“I am alone your God, the Lord; No other gods shall be adored. But you shall fully trust in Me and love Me wholeheartedly.”
Have mercy, Lord!
There is one, only one true God. God has blessed you and me with life. God created the first man and the first woman in His image. He created Adam and Eve holy, without sin or shame. They were able to walk and talk with God. They lived surrounded by God's love and protection.
That all changed when they began to doubt His Word, His command and they stopped loving God. Their failure to trust in God above everything led them to suffer the consequences.
What does our heavenly Father expect from us today regarding this command? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. This is the greatest command and tragically we all have broken this one and are need of a Savior.
Those of us who are led by God's Spirit strive to trust in God above everything else, and yet we still fail. This does not mean that we should STOP trying. The Good News is that our heavenly Father sent Jesus who obeyed His heavenly Father all the way to the cross and the empty tomb. The goal of these ten commands is to lead us to plead for God's mercy and to trust in Jesus as our Savior.
This has been Pastor Ricky Jacob of Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Church and preschool, of Winnebago. I close with the words of God:
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
