Article July 20, 1992 Issue

Two bright promises

Putting God first is the best thing we can do for ourselves, and for those near us.

Helen Lapp

When Moses revealed the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, what a shaking up they must have experienced. Accepted practices were forbidden, and strong demands were made for God-centered living.

Christ Jesus breathed the grace of God into the Commandments when he summed them up in these words, reiterating Old Testament teachings (see Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18): "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Where do we stand in relation to the Ten Commandments? Do we try to obey them only through fear of what we think might happen if we don't? Or are we sincerely striving to understand them spiritually as a protection to us, as an expression of God's love, even though we don't always measure up in obeying them? If the latter, couldn't we expect our loving, heavenly Parent to reassure us with the tender promise of ultimate success? The Bible tells us that God is Love itself, and the law of Love supports every effort in the right direction.

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