April 11, 2005

 

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me…”

--Exodus 20:1-3

 

Over the next ten days, we’re going to be getting to know the Ten Commandments—the old tablets written by the finger of God over 3500 years ago. The Ten Commandments are really God’s rules for success. They are the laws that liberate us into becoming everything that God intended for us to become.

 

The first commandment is to have no other gods in your life, but the Almighty God. The reality is that God exists and you can know Him personally. It is a priority to know the one true God in our Christian walk. How many times have you sacrificed the most precious people or relationships for material things that you’ve made as an idol in your life?

 

The biggest fool of all is one who believes that God exists, but lives as though He doesn’t. Our God is a jealous God, and to profess faith in Him, but not commit ourselves completely will result in a lack of joy and excitement in our lives. Think of the word “first.” How do you know God is first in your life? Let’s do a check up:

 

·        Finances – Do you know how you can tell where your priorities are? Simply take a look at your checkbook. How do you spend your money? How do you save it? How do you earn it? How do you give it?

·        Interests – The things of interest to us in our life, actions, and attitudes. What do you think about when you have time to do just that—think? What enters your mind first?

·        Relationships – Who you are in a relationship with—friends, dating, or acquaintances—says a lot about who is first, especially if they are worldly. The Bible says, “A companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). We are to be a friend to sinners, but not make them our idols and pick up their bad habits.

·        Schedule – Examine your activities for the past week or month and determine what’s taken first place. Do you make time to pray? Do you give time to God and worship?

·        Testings – One of the ways that we know who’s first in our lives is when we get in trouble. When the heat is on to whom do you turn?

 

Today, people are picking and choosing the commandments they want to keep and the lifestyle they want to live. Isn’t it about time we hear from God and begin putting Him first above all else? Throw away the things that are hindering you from a full and joyous relationship with Him, today.

 

“THESE AREN’T THE TEN SUGGESTIONS—

THEY ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!”

--BILLY GRAHAM