The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
Today’s Bible Verse: Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
For the next ten days of this devotional, we will reflect upon the Ten Commandments. If you do not have a physical copy of the updated Small Catechism, you can purchase one at Amazon by clicking here. If you wish to download a copy onto a Kindle or iPad, you can click here for the Kindle edition and click here for the Apple Books version.
One of the questions I receive a lot as a pastor comes from the seemingly odd balance between loving God above all things while at the same time fearing Him. People have trouble balancing loving and fearing. We all realize that our heavenly Father loves us simply because He created humanity and us. He sustains us by providing all that we need to support our lives. And, of course, God shows His love for us by sending His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to redeem us from the eternal penalty of our sins. As such, we don’t fear HIm as those who reject Him should. God created all things and has the power to punish those who reject Him. Those who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior should fear the God who created them. They will be punished at the end of time when they are cast away from our God forever. As believers in Jesus Christ, we recognize this balance between love and fear.
PRAYERS
Keep in Your Prayers:
The people living in the Sierra mountain region where they are dealing with more than 10 feet of snow.
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Prayer for Monday:
Gracious Father, I love You above all things and fear Your wrath. I give You thanks and praise for sending Jesus Christ, Your Son, into this world to my our Savior. Keep me and all believers mindful of Your grace and forgiveness throughout this Monday. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Photo by Wim van 't Einde on Unsplash
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