Category Archives: Daily devotionals

Reading: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17 Reflection: We live in a world that actively encourages comparison. Every time we log onto Facebook or Instagram, we see snapshots of other people’s reality.  We become more and more worried that other people are having more fun, are happier, or are living better lives than us.  Academic studies have shown that young people have significant commitment phobia as a result of increasing fear […]

Reading: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor! Exodus 20:16 Reflection: We’ve all seen those courtroom dramas where witnesses, victims, or those being prosecuted take an oath, to tell the truth.  Perhaps you’ve even been in a situation yourself where you’ve had to testify for or against someone.  It’s a huge responsibility when you know that your version of the story, your choice of words, could influence how someone else’s future plays out. Maybe you don’t have direct courtroom experience, but the majority of us know the guilt of not standing up for someone; for […]

Reading: Exodus 20,15 Thou Shall Not Steal! Reflection: When I was 7 years old, I went through a brief phase of stealing – first it started with stealing chewing gum from a grocery store, and then it got more serious… combining forces with my friend at school and stealing other children’s stickers from their sticker-books during break time!  While I might have experienced a degree of adrenaline in the stealing process, what made the thievery unforgettable was the horrible web of lies that came with covering my tracks…Maybe you have your own story of stealing […]

Reading: Exodus 20, 14 Do not commit adultery! Reflection: Desire is deeply rooted in our being. The desire for intimacy, to be loved, accepted, and to belong. We are created as beings of desire. Desire is good, given by God, but it becomes dangerous when it gets out of control. The big problem arises when our desires become demands! Legitimate desires quickly turn into lust. Lust is the complete opposite of true love. Lust turns people into objects. Lust sees another person as an object that will fulfill its demands. Lust and adultery go hand […]

Reading: Exodus 20, 13 Thou shalt not kill! Reflection: The first part of the Decalogue dealt with matters concerning the relationship between God and man, while the second part deals with the no less important relationship between man and man. For Israel, this part of the Scripture was always more than just law. The Decalogue spoke of absolute and eternal moral principles that every person should cherish in their heart. If it were not so, someone could deeply hate, despise, be angry – and still remain within the acceptable framework of the law, as long […]

Reading: Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you! Reflection: The fifth commandment is unique in that it requires both parents, father, and mother, to be equally honored. Interestingly, the father and mother are singled out as objects of special recognition and honor. This goes against not only the patriarchal culture of that time, but also a modern culture that puts strong, successful, victorious, powerful, heroic, and mostly male leaders on a pedestal, not mom and dad. Often, we […]

Reading: Exodus 20,8-11 Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day, no work may be done by you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the resident alien within your gates. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day, he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the […]

Reading: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20,7 Reflection: Have you ever driven through Herzegovina and passed a billboard with a picture of Mary holding Jesus and the caption “Stop cursing my son!”? When thinking about the third commandment, it’s easy to fall into the trap of the obvious. Of course, the commandment tells us not to curse God, swear by his name, use it in profanity, or in any other inappropriate way in speech. However, the […]

Do not spend your strength on women, your vigour on those who ruin kings. The last month we have read selections of King Solomon’s wisdom.  Yet it is not good enough just to read, write or speak Proverbs.  These final verses provide a somber warning for us – Solomon did not practice what he preached! He was ruined by his love of women. In what areas of your life do you feel tired?  Where did you last ‘spend your strength’?  Who is taking your energy and your attention away from God?  What is preventing you […]