Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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The Ministry of Obedience and Teaching

Bible Reading:   Deuteronomy 5: 20-33

Key verse:  Walk in obedience to what the Lord your God has commended you.  (Deut. 5:33)

DEVOTION

The Ten Commandments serve as the foundational guidelines that God established for the people of Israel. Rooted in divine wisdom, these commandments continue to hold significant spiritual and moral relevance even today. In many traditional Jewish homes, they are recited daily before the Shema prayer, a practice supported by rabbinic teachings recorded in the Talmud.
In Deuteronomy 5:20–33, we are given a profound glimpse into God's covenant with Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. These divine instructions were not meant to burden the people but to guide them toward a life of righteousness, harmony, and well-being. Yet, in our modern context, the commandments are often perceived as strict and difficult to uphold in daily life. This perception can sometimes lead to the misunderstanding that God is overly demanding or imposing.
However, a careful reading of Deut. 5:20-33 reveals the heart of God's intent. These verses emphasize obedience, not as a rigid obligation, but as a pathway to blessing and prosperity. God’s desire is that we walk in His ways, so that we may thrive in the life He has given us. The commandments are not meant to restrict us but to protect and bless us.
While we now live in the era of the New Testament, the spirit of the commandments remains relevant. Our focus today shifts from strict legalism to a relational walk with God, made possible through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The essence of Christian living is not about being bound by the law, but about being transformed by grace.
The Apostle Paul captures this beautifully in his letter to the Galatians. In Galatians 2:20, he writes: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”These words reflect a profound spiritual truth; that Christian life is a daily surrender, shaped not by external regulations, but by an inner relationship with Christ.
Today, as we reflect on the commandments and their place in our lives, let us remember that God’s desire is not to impose, but to invite us into a life of obedience, grace, and faith. Like Paul, may we strive each day to live by faith, allowing Christ to dwell in us and lead us toward a life that honors God and blesses others.

PRAYER

Almighty and Gracious Lord, living in obedience to God seems like something foreign and out of place in today’s world but allows us to strive in living a life that makes the death of Jesus Christ significant part of our daily living, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose, God has given them ‘– Oswald Chambers.

 

Abraham Kurien
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Houston, Texas.

Christian Education Forum
Diocese of North America of the Mar Thoma Church

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