March 28, 2008

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

--Exodus 20:17

Have you ever wondered why God saved the tenth commandment for last?

Of course, I can’t say for certain why He did this, but I can say that this commandment is the only one that deals with our attitude. All the others deal with our actions, or what we do. The tenth commandment really touches us at the deepest level—what we yearn for and desire.

You know, this commandment is just one reason why I love the Word of God so much. Here you have this book that was written thousands of years ago… but its truth can touch our hearts today! It’s amazing to see how God’s truth applies to each and every generation.

And this is especially true here in the 21st century. Our culture—the Christian church included—is immersed in this obsession to have things. And we can’t be reminded enough to focus on what’s really important.

As we wrap up this devotional series on the Ten Commandments, I’d like to ask you some questions that may help answer why God saved this commandment for last:

Is God truly the source of your life? Is He your all in all? Do you find ultimate security and satisfaction in Him?

Because this is the heart of Exodus 20:17. God knows that unless He is the source of your contentment, unless He is where you find satisfaction and security, your life will be empty.

Today, I pray that you will ask God to test your heart to see if your desire to have “things” is outweighing your desire to have Him. If you see this in your own life today, please confess it.

Not only that, but please remember the words of Jesus, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).

The things of this world won’t satisfy the longing in your soul. Only Jesus will. I pray He will be the desire and passion of your heart today.

UNLESS GOD IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR CONTENTMENT, YOUR LIFE WILL BE EMPTY.