~ Do Not Trespass ~

[Lani]

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17 Thou shalt not kill.
18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19 Neither shalt thou steal.
20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.



The psalmist wrote, “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” (NRSV) Psalm 119:104




On a roadside board near a village are written these words: “Do not trespass or cut a tree in this area. Protect our environment.” Some villagers ignored the sign. They trespassed, using shortcuts to reach the neighboring settlement; and they cut the tree to make fires. After weeks of torrential rains, the paths worn by those cutting through the area created a dangerous stream that made the road impassable.

Disobedience – trespassing – can cause damage and divisions in relationships as well. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3), their disobedience caused a rift between them and God.

God has given us the Ten Commandments. While meditating on disobedience and trespassing, I realized that the Ten Commandments are in our lives like signboards, showing us the right path to follow and the ways to avoid.



Prayer: Lord, thank you for the Ten Commandments and for Jesus Christ, who shows us the way. Help us to obey your word and to follow you and you alone, as we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”* Amen
*Matthew 6: 9-13 (NIV)


Prayer Focus of Day: People in areas devastated by erosion.

Thought for the Day: Obeying God is always the right path.

Story shared by: C.M. Kasongo (South Africa)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 10/4/11