The Ninth and Tenth Commandments
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
Today’s Bible Verses: James 4:1-2
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Until Friday 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.
To sinfully desire something that belongs to another - coveting. God created us to be content with what we have. However, being content is hard when you see others with flashier cars, more expensive homes, or gourmet food on the table, our sin can bubble up and drive us to get those things from our neighbor. Being content is hard, especially in our time when having more is seen as good. Let us put aside these sinful desires and thank our God for all that we have in our lives.
PRAYERS
Keep in Your Prayers:
Remember those in the midwest who are in the path of bad thunderstorms today.
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Prayer for Thursday:
Gracious Father in heaven, You give me and all people all that we need to support our bodies and lives. Make us all content with these gifts, especially the gift of faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His 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.
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