Greetings from Oregon! I sure hope this letter finds you
well.
Do you like to follow rules? Do you have rules at school or
at the Compassion center that you are supposed to observe and obey? Do your
parents give you rules to follow at home? I know some people think rules are
restrictive – that they are meant to keep us from doing the things we want to
do. But I think rules are actually good and give us freedom to live a better
way.
God has given us rules in the Bible about how we should
live. The most famous list of rules is called the 10 Commandments and I bet you
are at least a little bit familiar with them. Moses went up on Mt. Sinai and
met with God. It was here that God gave Moses the 10 Commandments for the
Israelites.
These 10 commandments or rules were set by God for the people to
follow. Because God loves us and knows what is best for us, He has given us
rules to follow so that our lives will be pleasing to Him.
Even though these rules were originally given to the
Israelites, they are still applicable to all who love and follow God – people
like you and me. I think it’s important
to understand what these commands mean and I’ll be looking at each commandment
individually in my upcoming letters. For today I’d like to introduce all 10
commandments and encourage you to memorize this list. You can read the original
story in Exodus 20.
The
10 Commandments
1
Love God more than you love
anything else.
2 Don’t make anything in your life more
important than God.
3 Always say God’s name with love and
respect.
4 Honor God by resting on the seventh day
of the week.
5 Love and respect your parents.
6
Don’t hurt anyone.
7
Always be faithful to your husband
or wife.
8 Don’t take anything that isn’t yours.
9 Always tell the truth.
10
Be content with what you have – don’t
wish for other people’s stuff.
I’m praying for you and your family. I pray that you can
truly learn to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and follow His
commands. I pray that as you follow these rules, you will find freedom in
living your life in a way that honors God.
May God bless and keep you,
