The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (NIV)

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;
let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
also Aaron and Miriam.
5 My people, remember
what Balak king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

6 With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

KNOW IT AND SHOW IT.

Imagine getting your driver's license the day after your sixteenth birthday-and choosing not to drive.

Imagine learning your ABC's but never reading a single word in your life.

Imagine discovering a cure for the common cold but choosing not to take it when you're sniffing and sneezing like a banshee.

Why would anyone do something like that? We do it all the time, especially when it comes to choosing between right and wrong.

For example, we know that justice is right and injustice is wrong. Yet we don't always choose to act justly, do we? We may know it, but we don't always show it. We butt in ahead of people in cafeteria lines. We treat some people better than others. We "play favorites." We take advantage of people. We accuse people or dislike people without really knowing the whole story.

But if we know it's wrong to act unfairly, why do we do it anyway?

Well, part of the answer to that question is that we're all sinners. We tend to do the wrong thing more than we tend to do the right thing.

Another part of the answer to that question is that we act unjustly because sometimes it seems more beneficial to us than acting justly. (Who wants to wait longer than necessary in a cafeteria line, right?)

A third reason we act unjustly is that we don't make a conscious decision to do otherwise. Since acting unjustly seems to come more naturally (because of our sinful nature), we tend to do that unless we've made a commitment to follow God's way of justice instead of doing what comes naturally.

You can make such a commitment by determining in your heart that when you're faced with a choice between a right action and a wrong action, you will choose what's right even when it's inconvenient. But that's not all; you then need to ask God for the strength to choose justice over injustice and trust the Holy Spirit to enable you to keep your commitment.

That won't guarantee that you'll always act justly, but it will help you the next time you're tempted.

REFLECT: Knowing what's right and doing what's right are two different things. Sometimes we do wrong when we're not sure what's right. Other times we know what's right, but we do what's wrong anyway. Which is a bigger problem for you: knowing what's right or doing what's right?

PRAY: "Lord, I commit to your way. I commit to acting fairly when I'm faced with the chance to do something unfair. Help me especially to..."

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

"INSULATING" YOURSELF.

If you read yesterday's devotional reading, you learned about a thirteen year old diabetic named Bailey. When Bailey first discovered that she had diabetes, she learned that because her body was no longer producing insulin, she would have to give herself shots of insulin. Without the insulin, her body could not convert her food into the energy she needs to do the things thirteen year olds like to do.

Every morning before she eats breakfast, she gets a needle and puts first one kind of insulin into the needle (the kind of insulin that acts quickly) and then another kind (which acts slowly). Then she pokes the needle into either her arm or leg. Then, in the evening, before supper, she has to do the same thing again.

If she forgets or injects too little insulin into her system, it will not be long before she will begin to feel the effects. She will begin to lose energy, and eventually her health will be affected. If she gives herself too much insulin, she'll become weak and shaky, and eventually dizzy and confused. If something isn't done, she could go into a coma and even die.

Every day for the rest of her life (unless a cure is discovered), she will have to spend some time in the morning and evening to make sure she has in her system the insulin necessary to be healthy and active. It's not fun, but as long as she watches her diet and gives herself shots every morning and evening, she'll live a pretty normal life.

Once more Bailey's routine isn't much different from what it means to live the Christian life. There are certain things we must do if we want to obey God's commands and live a pure life. Just as Bailey must give herself a shot of insulin every morning and evening, we'll be better able to live a pure life if we give ourself daily shots of God's Word, reading it every day, studying it, and hiding it in our heart as a sort of "spiritual insulin" to keep us from sinning against God.

"How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules" (Psalm 119:9). Obeying God's Word is the only way a young person any person, for that matter can stay pure.

REFLECT: God has a prescription for living a healthy Christian life. Read the first sixteen verses of Psalm 119, and underline the prescriptions (directions) God gives for being a healthy Christian. Then begin today to read God's Word every day. (Reading a psalm a day might be a good way to start.) Remember that a daily dose of God's Word is a good way to vaccinate yourself against impurities.

PRAY: "Thank you, God, for providing the 'spiritual insulin' I need to keep from sinning against you. Help me to develop the habit of reading your Word each day."

Week 2 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” - Proverbs 3:5, NIV

Week 3 – “Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV

Week 4 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV

Week 5 – “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” - 1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV

Week 6 – “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” - Colossians 3:23, NKJV

Week 7 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Luke 12:34, KJV

Week 8 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13, NKJV Week 9 – “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19, KJV

Week 10 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

Week 11 – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3, ESV

Week 12 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”- James 1:5, ESV

Week 13 – “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”- Psalm 107:8, KJV

Week 14 – “For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” – Psalm 107:9, NIV Week 15 – “ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” - Galatians 6:7, NIV

Week 16 – “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1, ESV

Week 17 – “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” – Psalm 23:6, ESV

Week 18 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28, KJV

Week 19 – “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31, KJV

Week 20 – “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV

Week 21 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7, KJV

Week 22 – “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6, ESV

Week 23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23, NIV

Week 24 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8, ESV

Week 25 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14, NIV

Week 26 – “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5, NIV

Week 27 – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”- Matthew 22:39, NIV

Week 28 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”- Philippians 4:6, NIV

Week 29 – “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7, NIV

Week 30 – “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” - Proverbs 30:5, ESV

Week 31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”- 1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV

Week 32 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”- Genesis 1:1, ESV

Week 33 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”- Psalm 19:1, NIV

Week 34 – “The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”- Psalm 1:6, ESV

Week 35 – “…Thus says the LORD… Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1, ESV

Week 36 – “I, I am the LORD, and besides me, there is no savior.” – Isaiah 43:11, ESV

Week 37 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” - Matthew 5:14, ESV

Week 38 – “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”- Matthew 5:16, NIV

Week 39 – “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33, KJV

Week 40 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” – Colossians 3:16, KJV Week 41 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8, KJV Week 42 – “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31, KJV

Week 43 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27, NIV

Week 44 – “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn.” – Psalm 37:4, NIV

Week 45 – “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:24b, ESV

Week 46 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16, KJV

Week 47 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”- 1 John 4:7, NKJV

Week 48 – “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” - Hebrews 10:24, NLT

Week 49 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8, NIV

Week 50 – “If they obey and serve him, They will spend the rest of their days in prosperity, and their years in contentment.” – Job 36:11, NIV

Week 51 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! - Isaiah 43:18-19a, NIV

Week 52 – “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” – Psalm 150:6, NIV

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

DOUBLE FAULT.

You're a tennis player. You're playing a critical game in an important tournament. You're serving for the match; if you win this point, you're the champion. You toss the ball into the air and hit it with all your might, but your serve sails past the other player and lands on the grass outside the fence that surrounds the tennis court. "Second serve," the umpire announces.

You get one more chance to serve for the match. You toss the ball into the air and hit it. This time your serve hits the net and bounces back into your court. "Double fault," the umpire intones.

You shake your head in disappointment and prepare to serve again. But the umpire informs you that the score is now tied. You charge the umpire's chair.

"No way!" you protest. "I want to serve again!" You throw your racket to the ground and insist that you always take three serves, not two. You scream that you've been playing tennis for five years. "You have no right to tell me how the game is supposed to be played!" you howl. "I'll decide that for myself." Enraged, you throw your arms up in disgust and storm off the court.

You'd never act that way, of course. You're much too nice, right? Besides, everyone knows that two missed serves a double fault, in tennis lingo scores a point for the server's opponent. Those are the rules. That's the way the game is played.

Yet, surprisingly, a lot of people expect the rules of right and wrong to be different. They think they can make up their own rules as they go along, changing what's wrong or right to fit their mood or circumstance. But right and wrong are just as clear as the rules of tennis. Everyone knows that stealing is wrong and integrity is right; cruelty is wrong, and mercy is right; hate is wrong, and love is right. Those are the rules. And, like the Bible says, "You are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us" (James 4:11-12).

Of course, as long as good and evil exist in the world, people will continue to try to make up their own rules. But not you. You're much too smart, right?

REFLECT: Do you think tennis would be more fun or less fun if everyone could make up his or her own rules? Why? Do you think life is more fun or less fun when we obey God's rules? Why?

ACT: Challenge a friend or family member to a set of tennis, and use that as an opportunity to share the point of today's reading with him or her. Or simply place a tennis ball or tennis racket in a prominent place in your room this week to remind you that your job is to obey God's rules, not to try to change them or challenge them.

PRAY: "Creator God, you are much wiser than I am. Forgive me for questioning your rule about..."

21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

KEEP YOURSELF PURE.

"Pure chewing satisfaction"

"90 and 44/100ths percent pure"

"100% pure mountain spring water"

"Pure cane sugar"

"100% pure Michigan honey"

Whether you're talking about chewing gum, soap, sugar, or honey, people value purity. They want pure air, pure water, pure enjoyment, pure excitement! They won't settle for anything less than pure spring water, pure Colombian coffee, pure cotton briefs, pure everything.

We're all that way. We love purity. We admire it. We desire it.

The word pure means "clean," "spotless," "free from contamination," "unmixed with any foreign substance." To say that water is pure means it has no dirt or chemicals in it. To say that cotton is pure means it has no wool or synthetic materials mixed in. To say that the air is pure means that it's free of pollution.

As you can see, purity's a good thing. But purity isn't just good for water or food or fabric. It's good for people, too. You see, it's like this: When God made water, he didn't put detergents and dyes and chemicals and crud in it-he put water in it! That's why 100 percent pure mountain spring water is so good; it's the way God wanted water to look, feel, and taste. Similarly, when he created humans and planted them on this planet, he made it clear to us what our life should contain not only to please him but to make our life better, too.

Living a pure life means keeping out of your life all the things God didn't intend to go in there, like foul language, filthy thoughts, and sinful acts. A pure life is pleasing to God. And, like pure sugar or pure water, it's a lot healthier for you and more impressive to others as well.

REFLECT: Nearly everyone agrees that purity in water or air is a good thing; many of us have trouble admitting that purity in life is even more valuable. What do you find valuable in life? Have you allowed any impurity to enter your life? If not, how have you kept yourself pure?

ACT: See how many products (sugar, bottled water, soap, and so on) you can find in your house that claim to be "pure." You might even want to have a competitive scavenger hunt with a brother, sister, or friend to see who can assemble the most "pure" items.

PRAY: Thank God for being there to help you keep yourself pure. If you've allowed any impurity to enter your life, take a few moments to ask God's forgiveness and seek his cleansing. Reading Psalm 51 might help you put your feelings into words.

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

THE PRICE IS STEEP.

Have you ever seen the game show The Price Is Right? It's been on TV since Noah was a teenager. One of the games contestants play on the show involves matching different products with the correct prices. See if you can match the items in the first list with the price tags in the second list below:

1. NEWSPAPER
2. NEW MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE
3. BOTTLED WATER (16 OZ.)
4. ONE-MINUTE COMMERCIAL DURING MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
5. POSTAGE STAMP
6. COMPUTER WITH MONITOR, PRINTER, CD-ROM
7. SCHOOL LUNCH
8. 1910 HONUS WAGNER BASEBALL CARD
9. FAX MACHINE
10. VISIT TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

A. $800,000
B. $1,500
C. $400
D. $1.75
E. $55
F. $25,000
G. 35-50C
H. $1.25
I. $451,000
J. 32 C

Now, the price of some of those items may seem steep, $451,000 for a baseball card? (That's what hockey great Wayne Gretzky and a partner paid for the rare card in 1991.) Others like a postage stamp or a newspaper may seem like bargains by comparison.

To be honest, sometimes the price of doing the right thing can be pretty steep, too. Sometimes doing the right thing can make you feel like a party pooper or a geek. It might cost you a friend. It might cost you money. It's even cost people their lives. It's enough to make you wonder why anybody would choose to do right.

There's no doubt about it, doing the right thing can be hard. It can seem dumb. But though it may seem hard at the time, the price of doing wrong is usually steeper-maybe not right away, but in the long run. Doing wrong can end up costing you friends. It can get you in really big trouble. It could even cost you your life ... and your soul.

That's what God's trying to tell us in today's Scripture reading. He does not promise that we will be rewarded in this life for every right choice we make. But he does promise that obeying his commands will accomplish our good maybe not right now, but in the long run, and certainly in eternity. As Proverbs 21:21 says, "Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor."

REFLECT: Have you ever made the wrong choice because the cost of making the right choice seemed too high? Are you glad you made the choice you did? Would you do it differently if you could?

PRAY: "God, help me to do the right thing, even when it's hard to..."

ANSWERS: 1G; 2F; 3H; 4A; 5C; 6B; 7D; 8I; 9C; 10E

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

GOOD MEASURE.

A thermometer

A tape measure

A yardstick

A speedometer

A pressure gauge God

What do the above have in common? They're all standards of measurement.

"Wait a minute," you may respond. "What's God doing on the list?"

Well, like a thermometer or a yardstick or a pressure gauge, God himself is a standard of measurement. If you want to measure distance, you might use a yardstick. If you want to measure the speed your car is going, you might use a speedometer. And if you want to measure the lightness or wrongness of an attitude or action, you measure it against God's values.

Is something wrong or right? Compare it to God.

Is it OK to lie as long as you're not hurting anybody? Compare it to God. He says, "Do not lie" (Leviticus 19:11) because he values truth. He values truth because he is truth itself (John 14:6).

Is it right to hate somebody who has hurt you? Compare it to God. He says, "Love each other" (John 13:34) because he values love. He values love because he is love (1 John 4:8, 16).

Is it right to hold grudges? Is it right to keep something that doesn't belong to you? Is it right to give in to your passion or temper? Is it right to make fun of other people? Is it right to treat someone unfairly? Compare it to God. He is the standard for measuring right and wrong.

REFLECT: Unfortunately, many people try to measure right and wrong according to their feelings, their desires, what their friends say, what their parents say, or what their communities or cultures tolerate. What standard have you been using to figure out what's right or wrong? Your feelings? Your desires? What your friends say? Something else?

ACT: Place a tape measure, thermometer, or some other instrument of measurement in your pocket or on your desk or dresser today to remind you to measure your actions against God, the only true standard for measuring right and wrong.

PRAY: "God, I really appreciate having your Word to help me know what you value. You're the best standard of measurement there is."

Hebrews 10:24

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

FIRST STEP, SECOND STEP.

Walked lately? Of course you have. You've probably walked a lot this week. You walk from your bed to the bathroom in the morning. You walk from class to class in school. You walk from the television to the refrigerator. You walk upstairs, you walk downstairs, you walk outside, you walk inside.

There was a time, however, when you couldn't walk.

You probably don't remember, but you didn't even crawl for the first few months of your life. One day you pulled yourself up in your crib or playpen and stood, hanging on to the sides. Then one day you took your first step. Then a second step. Before long, you were walking like a pro!

Making right choices is not much different. The first step is knowing right from wrong. A lot of people never even make it to this first step, and many others never progress beyond it. But you didn't stop walking after your first step, and you shouldn't stop after taking the first step in knowing right from wrong either.

The second step and this is where a whole lot of people fall flat on their faces is doing right. The problem is, of course, that doing what's right is sometimes hard. More than likely, we want to do wrong more than right. Read again (above) how Paul put it in Galatians 5:17.

Does that sound like you? You may know what's right, but doing it sure is a lot harder!

So how are you supposed to make right choices when it seems so much easier to do whatever comes naturally (which usually is the wrong choice)? Paul gives us the answer: "Live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit [W]hen the Holy Spirit controls [your life], he will produce this kind of fruit. . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:16, 22-23).

Letting the Holy Spirit control your life is the only sure way to do the right thing. That will mean submitting to his control every day, committing yourself to follow his leading, and then trying to stay in touch with him through prayer and obedience all through the day. Then you won't have to try to do the right thing; he'll do it for you.

REFLECT: Do you struggle most with knowing what's right or with doing what's right? Can you do what's right if you don't know what's right? Can you know what's right and still do wrong?

PRAY: "Dear God, I submit to your Holy Spirit's control, and I commit to following you throughout this day. Help me to trust you every time I'm faced with a choice between right and wrong. Thank you for the wisdom and the strength to do what's right."

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

TRACING THE TRUTH.

Don't walk.

Merge right.

No right turn on red.

You see those phrases all the time, don't you? These are just a few examples of the precepts (instructions and commands) that we follow, often without even thinking.

Refrigerate after opening.

Shake before using.

Tear here to open.

Watch your step.

Place first-class postage here.

Precepts are all around us. They're a part of our life. They help us function more easily and more comfortably in life. And most of the time, they're pretty painless.

God has given us precepts as well. We usually call them commandments. He has told us, "Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not steal. Do not lie. Love one another." These precepts are just a few of the commands God gives in the Bible. Jewish tradition maintains that God gave 624 specific commands!

God has communicated a lot about himself through precepts. His commands reveal what he likes, what he doesn't like, what he says is good or bad. But the precepts of the Lord are not just a bunch of do's and don'ts; they also show us important principles God values.

Principles help explain the why behind a command. A concern for safety is one of the principles behind a mother's command to look both ways before crossing the street. Reverence for life is the principle behind the command "Do not kill." A principle behind the command "Do not give false testimony" is honesty. Learning to identify the principles behind God's precepts will help us see the overarching truth that applies, even when a specific command doesn't seem to apply.

But if you really want to know right from wrong, you must look beyond the precept, beyond the principle, to the person of God. His nature defines right and wrong. The reason honesty is right and lying is wrong is that God is truth. The reason love is right and hatred is wrong is that God is love. The reason mercy is right and cruelty is wrong is that God is merciful.

REFLECT: Choose a virtue (for example: purity, love, honesty, justice). See if you can explain why it is right by tracing it through precept and principle to the person of God. Or think about the virtue you chose. Is it something you value? Why?

PRAY: "Father God, when I don't know which way to turn, help me remember to rely on your principles for direction."

Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right

SMOOTH LANDING.

It was William's first airplane flight, and since his uncle was one of the pilots, William got to visit the cockpit.

"How high up are we?" William asked.

William's uncle pointed to the instrument panel. "Well, this gauge shows how high we are. Each number represents a thousand feet, so we're about 25,000 feet. We'll eventually reach 36,000 feet."

For the next hour William was full of questions. "How do you steer?" "How fast can you go?" Each time the pilot flipped a switch or turned a dial, William wanted to know what was happening. "What's he doing now?"

"We're changing to a new radio frequency because we're getting close to the airport. He'll be talking with people in the control tower who will direct him in."

"But I can't see a thing! How do they know where we are? How do you know where to go?"

William's uncle smiled. "We're in the clouds right now." He pointed to the instrument panel again. "But we have instruments that show us any other planes in the area. Plus, we're in constant touch with the control tower. The people there use radar, which helps them see everything a lot better than we can. They know which runway we should land on, what other planes are coming in to land, whether there are any storms in the area, and stuff like that. Even if we can't see because of clouds or fog, the people in the control tower can tell us exactly what we need to know to arrive safely at our destination."

Sometimes we become confused in life, and we have a hard time knowing which way is right and which way is wrong. Like William, we can't always see things clearly. Our friends tell us one thing, teachers say another thing, our parents say something else, and we end up not knowing what's right and what's wrong. Right and wrong get all fuzzy and foggy, and we feel like we're flying through a cloud.

At such times we need to be in constant touch with the "control tower." God can see everything a lot better than we can. We need to rely on his Word and his wisdom. We need to listen to him and follow what he says. If we do that, he will tell us exactly what we need to know to arrive safely at our destinations.

REFLECT: When do you feel as if you're "flying through a cloud"? What do you usually do when you can't "see your way clearly"? What part does faith play in your actions?

God is like the person in the control tower, and you are like the pilot. God says, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21, NIV).

PRAY: "God, show me the way you want me to go."
and teaches them his way.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom[a] your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHO YOU KNOW.

Eddie was doing his homework on the computer when his dad came into his room.

"It's almost time for dinner," Dad said. He watched the computer screen for a few moments. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Eddie shrugged. "Math homework. I surfed the Web looking for data and specs on adding memory cards," Eddie answered. "We're supposed to come up with ways in which numbers are used in modern technology."

Dad laughed. "I have no idea what you just said." He paused. "You've been learning quite a bit about computers since you started hanging around with Jordan, haven't you?"

Eddie spun in his chair and faced his dad. "Yeah, Dad, he's really cool. It's like, I can learn so much just by hanging out with him and talking to him. I feel like I didn't know anything about computers until I got to know Jordan." He snapped his fingers. "Now I feel like I know what I'm doing. It's easy."

Eddie didn't take a class in binary code to become an adept computer user. He didn't have to struggle through Computer Science 101. Those things might not have hurt, of course, but Eddie learned a lot about computers simply because his friend Jordan knew computers; by getting to know Jordan, Eddie got to know computers.

Knowing right from wrong and making right choices works in much the same way. Proverbs 9:10 says, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding." In other words, the key to knowing right from wrong is knowing God. If you know God, you know the one who is always right. If an attitude or action agrees with God's Word, it's right; if not, it's wrong.

But if you don't know God, you can't know what he likes or what he doesn't like. If you know him only by what others say about him or by what you read about him, you'll have a very limited knowledge of what's right or wrong. But if you know him personally if you and he are close friends, if you talk to him every day, and if he talks to you through his Word that knowledge will result in understanding. And the better you know him, the easier it will be to know and do the right thing.

REFLECT: If you want to get to know someone at school or church, how do you go about doing it? How did you first get to know your best friend? If you want to get to know God better, how would you do it?

PRAY: "God, I want to know you better, but I'll need your help. Help me to pray and read my Bible every day and to learn more and more from you as I get to know you better."

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

VILLAINS 'R' US.

Cruella De Vil

Scar

Jafar

Captain Hook Anastasia

and Drusilla Shere Khan

Recognize any of those names? Cruella De Vil, of course, was the totally mean and nasty villains in Disney's 101 Dalmatians. Scar was little Simba's evil uncle in The Lion King. Jafar? He plotted against Aladdin, the Genie, and Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin. Captain Hook was out to get Peter Pan. Anastasia and Drusilla, Cinderella's wicked stepsisters, treated her like dirt. And Shere Khan, the tiger in The Jungle Book, wanted to eat poor Mowgli! Anybody who has seen those animated classics would agree that characters such as Scar and Jafar are evil. But why?

A lot of people today claim that right and wrong don't exist, that everybody has to decide for himself or herself what's good or bad. "You're old enough to know what's right for you," they might say. "Don't let anybody tell you what's right or wrong. That's up to you."

But everybody would agree that wanting to steal and to slaughter innocent little puppies to make fur coats (like Cruella De Vil) is downright nasty and that engineering your brother's death and blaming it on your nephew (like Scar in The Lion King) isn't very nice, either. Those villains are despicable characters because anyone can recognize that their actions and attitudes are evil. Why? Because right and wrong are not up to you or me; it's already been decided and decreed by God himself. He alone has the authority to decide right from wrong, and he has said that murder and hatred and bitterness and rage and anger and all types of malicious behavior are wrong.

"Instead," God says, we are to be self-controlled, "kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32). No matter what anyone else may tell you, that's what's right!

REFLECT: Do you ever find yourself justifying bitterness, rage, or anger toward someone else? Do you ever say, "I didn't do anything wrong," when you really did? Do you tend to be "self-controlled" or "uncontrolled"?

ACT: Suggest that your family rent one of the movies mentioned above. As you watch it, notice the traits of the villains and how much they reflect the things God has called evil.

PRAY: "God, I'm glad that you love me and want to help me even when I feel like a villain. Show me today how to get rid of anything bad I may want to say or do."

24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

IN CONTROL?

Doesn't it just make you mad when:

you take the dog for a walk and he "walks" on your pant leg or shoe?

you call a friend to talk about how much you like this "total fox" in your class and you realize too late that you dialed the wrong number and spilled your guts to the "fox"?

you forget your lunch and have to eat the food your friends don't want, like carrot sticks, Spam, and something mushy and gray?

you turn on the television to watch your favorite show and it's being preempted so the president can talk about meeting with people you've never heard of in someplace you've never heard of to discuss something you don't care about?

you realize at noon that you forgot to take off your pajama top before getting dressed for school?

Lots of things can make you mad. Sometimes it can seem like the whole world is just waiting for a chance to get on your nerves. But it's not.

What is happening, though, is that every day you face a lot of choices that challenge your self-control. Self-control is your ability to control your temper and your actions. It's not like being double-jointed, though, in that "some people are and some people ain't." It's like any choice between right and wrong: Sometimes you make the right choice (and exercise self-control), and sometimes you don't.

No matter how many times something or someone gets on your "last nerve," no matter how often you're tempted to lose your cool, no matter how much you'd like to blow off some steam, you need to recognize that being self-controlled is a choice you make. And, with God's help, you'll be able to choose self-control more and more often.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22-23.) If you're controlled by God's Spirit, you'll have self-control. Does that make you a robot? Hardly! You still have the freedom to choose self-control or to blow your cool. Someone won't "Leggo your Eggo"? You can choose what to do: get mad or use self-control. You can heed or ignore the psalmist's warning, "Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Think about it overnight and remain silent" (Psalm 4:4).

REFLECT: Reread Ephesians 4:24. What do you think it means to be a "new person"? How can that affect your actions?

What was the last thing that got you really upset? How did you respond? How could you have responded differently?

PRAY: "Lord, stop me when I start to get angry. Help me to see my choices. And give me the strength to make the right choice."

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

THINKING IN NEW WAYS.

Look at the arrangement of dots below, and copy it to a piece of paper. Without lifting your pencil, can you draw four straight lines in such a way that at least one line goes through each dot?

. . .
. . .
. . .

How'd you do? It's impossible, you say? Can't be done? Think again. It can be done, but it requires breaking out of your usual way of thinking. Did you consider starting your straight lines only on one of the dots, or did you consider the possibility that the straight lines could extend beyond the figure of nine dots?

Try it this way: Beginning with the dot in the lower left corner, draw a straight line diagonally to the top right corner. Next, draw a straight line down from the top right corner, continuing past the dot in the bottom right corner. Then, beginning below the dot at the bottom right, draw a straight line diagonally through the dot in the middle of the bottom row and the far left dot in the middle row (piercing only two dots) and again continuing past that dot into the space to the left of the top row. Then draw your fourth straight line across the top row of the figure. Phew! You did it!

What's the point of this exercise? Well, the more you learn about God and his ways, the more you will begin to think in ways that other people just can't understand. As you learn more and more about God and accept him as the authority over right and wrong, your thoughts and attitudes will begin to change. When others react one way to a certain situation or temptation, you will act and react in a totally different way. When others choose wrong, you will be able to choose right because you know some things that they don't understand.

If something seems impossible, people think, "Hey, it can't be done." Let's face it as humans we can be pretty limited in our thinking. But just like the dot exercise, we can be trained to go beyond our limitations. How? By thinking like Christ. First Corinthians 2:16 tells us, "We can understand [spiritual and other truths], for we have the mind of Christ." With his limitless thinking, the possibilities are endless!

REFLECT: Do your friends ever express surprise about the way you think or the things you do? Do they think differently from you about right and wrong? If so, why? If not, why not?

PRAY: "God, how great it is that you give us a new way of thinking. Help me to develop the same mind as Christ and to act and react like he would?"

2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.

THE FARMER AND THE SNAKE.

Aesop, a Greek slave who lived about six hundred years before Christ, recorded many fables short stories that were intended to teach an important truth. One of Aesop's fables was the story of the farmer and the snake.

One winter a farmer was walking down the dirt road near his farm when he saw a snake lying across the road, stiff and frozen from the cold.

The farmer felt sorry for the snake and picked it up. He cradled the poisonous creature against his chest, and before long the warmth of the man's body began to revive the snake. Immediately upon gaining the use of its muscles, the snake coiled and bit the farmer, inflicting a deadly wound.

The farmer was foolish, of course. He should have known better. He should not have taken a chance with a poisonous snake.

Many people make the same mistake today. Oh, they may not pick up snakes from the road, but they do something that is infinitely more dangerous. They play with sin. They flirt with temptation. They make wrong choices. And they wonder why they can't seem to find happiness and fulfillment. Sometimes their wrong choices have tragic consequences, and they look at their ruined lives and ask, "How could God do this to me?"

"People ruin their lives by their own foolishness," Solomon said, "and then are angry at the Lord" (Proverbs 19:3). But it's not God's fault if people who disobey him suffer the consequences of their disobedience. People who play with snakes should expect to be bitten.

REFLECT: Today's reading compares sin to a snake. In what ways do you think sin is like a snake? In what ways is it different?

Are you "playing" with any sin or "flirting" with any temptations in your life? God can help you steer clear of that sin or temptation if you let him.

PRAY: "Father God, I don't want to ruin my life by making a foolish choice. Help me to steer clear of sin and temptation, especially in the area of..."

21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[a]

BEYOND MILDEW AND TASSELS.

God has given a lot of direction and instruction about what is right and what is wrong. He has made it pretty clear: "Don't lie," "Don't steal," "Honor your father and mother," and so on.

In fact, God has been really specific with some of his commands. For example, his commands to Israel actually included such details as

what priests should wear (Exodus 28:1-43)

which kinds of animals, fish, and birds could be eaten (Leviticus 11:1-19)

how to rid a house of an "infectious mildew" (Leviticus 14:33-53)

how tassels were to be worn (Numbers 15:37-41)

which vows made by wives or daughters were binding (Numbers 30)

what to do if you found a bird's nest on the ground (Deuteronomy 22:6-7)

Isn't that great? If your house ever has an "infectious mildew," or you wonder just how you ought to wear the tassels your great-grandmother gave you for Christmas, you'll know what to do!

Unfortunately, it's not always that easy to know what's right and what's wrong. Oh, there's no doubt about the "big" things, like murder and stealing and love and mercy. But sometimes it can be hard to know if a choice is right or wrong. A lot of the choices kids face can be pretty hard to figure out. If you're not sure something is wrong, should you go ahead and do it anyway? Or should you never do anything unless you're absolutely positive it's right? What if you get stuck between two choices and you have to choose one, but you don't know if either one is right?

Well, it's not necessarily a sin to do something that we don't know is wrong or right. We can't know everything, and we don't have to assume that everything we don't know about is wrong. On the other hand, if you have doubts and think it might be wrong, you'd better make sure by doing these four things first: (1) Put off doing it; (2) pray about it; (3) search the Bible for direction; and (4) ask for advice from your parents or from a Christian friend you trust. If you still can't determine what's wrong or right, steer clear of it. It's better to not do something that would have been OK than to do something that is wrong.

Remember, too, that God wants you to choose what is best, not just avoid what is wrong.

REFLECT: Have you ever had trouble figuring out whether something is right or wrong? What did you end up doing in that situation? Ask your parents what they think about the decision you made.

PRAY: "Lord, help me to choose what is best and not just avoid what is wrong."

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

WHAT'S YOUR REP?

In the first list below are the names of fictional and factual people who have become identified with a certain reputation. See if you can match each name with the corresponding reputation:

1. Benedict Arnold
2. Midas
3. Ebenezer Scrooge
4. Michael Jordan
5. Attila the Hun
6. Pocahontas
7. Hercules
8. Albert Einstein
9. Michelangelo
10. Romeo

A. barbaric
B. brave
C. artistic
D. miserly
E. romantic
F. smart
G. traitorous
H. rich
I. athletic
J. strong

How'd you do? If you got less than half right, don't sweat it; it's only for fun. If you got all of them right, substitute your name for Albert Einstein's!

More important than how many you got right is this question: If your name were on that list, what sort of reputation would your friends, family, and others identify with you? If the words kind and merciful were in the right hand column, would anyone associate those words with you? If so, then you have already begun to establish a reputation for kindness and mercy. That should not only make you feel good, but it can also protect you and provide for you. A reputation for kindness and mercy will tend to make other people want to hang around you. It will often prompt people to be understanding toward you. It may open doors of opportunity for you to help others and, perhaps, be helped yourself.

If the words kind and merciful would not be associated with you, it's not too late to begin cultivating kindness and loyalty. Then, as today's Bible reading says, "you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation" as you begin to reap the rewards of showing mercy to others.

REFLECT: Proverbs 22:1 says: "Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold." Why do you think this is true?

PRAY: "God, I really want both you and people to think well of me. Today I'm going to... be especially kind to by doing..."

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

ANDY AND THE LION.

The people of ancient Rome told the story of Androcles, a slave whose master was cruel. Androcles ran away and hid in the woods for a long time. He was happy to be free but had a hard time finding food, so he began to get hungry and weak. Finally, convinced that he was dying, Androcles crawled into a dark cave and lay down to sleep.

He was awakened by the loud roar of a lion that had entered the cave. Androcles thought the lion was going to eat him, but he watched in fascination as the lion limped in circles around the cave, constantly whimpering and occasionally roaring in pain.

When the great creature finally lay down, Androcles approached the lion carefully. To his surprise, the lion allowed him to gingerly lift the injured paw. Androcles discovered that a long, sharp thorn had lodged itself in the lion's paw. With one quick motion, he pulled the thorn out. The lion licked the tender paw while Androcles still held it in his hand, and soon both man and animal fell asleep.

The next morning the lion brought food to Androcles, and it continued to do so every day until a band of soldiers came into the cave and recognized Androcles as an escaped slave. The soldiers arrested him and took him to Rome.

In those days runaway slaves were forced to fight wild animals in the Colosseum for the entertainment of the people. After a few days in prison, Androcles was taken to the Colosseum. His guards dragged him out into a dirt arena and left him alone. He trembled as he heard the roars of a hungry beast.

Finally, a gate was opened at the other end of the arena, and a mighty lion raced in, roaring and baring his teeth. The creature leaped upon Androcles in a single bound as the crowd watched in astonishment to see Androcles and the lion he had befriended roll over and over in the dirt in a happy reunion. When the crowd heard the slave's story, they cried out for Androcles and the lion to be set free, and they were.

This fable illustrates an important truth. Jesus put it this way: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7, NIV). The person who shows mercy to others often receives mercy back, while the person who refuses mercy to others is cheated out of many good things.

It's just another way that obeying God's commands protects us and provides for us.

REFLECT: Have you ever been blessed by someone who has shown you mercy? Have you returned that blessing? Have you ever been blessed by being merciful to someone else?

PRAY: "Thank you, God, for the mercy you have shown to me. This week, help me think of a way to show mercy to one of your creatures."

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

70 X 7.

The character on the children's television show Sesame Street often sang a song that went something like, "One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong." Viewers were supposed to pick out which item didn't belong in the group. Well, Big Bird's not here to sing for you (this is a pretty low budget devotional), but let's play the game anyway. Ready?

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong. Which one is it?

Cake
Pie
Pudding
Motor oil

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong. Which one is it?

Moses
Hootie and the Blowfish
Daniel
King David

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong. Which one is it?

Mercy
Kindness
Compassion
Unforgivingness

OK, so it's not as good as Sesame Street. But if you answered "unforgivingness" to that last question, you get the point: one of the main ways people fail to show mercy to each other is by refusing to forgive each other.

Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, once asked Jesus, "How often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" Jesus probably shocked Peter with his answer. "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!" (Matthew 18:21-22). The rabbis of Jesus' day taught that a person should be forgiven three times. But Jesus made it clear that we should never stop forgiving people.

In many ways, mercy begins with forgiveness. If you refuse to forgive someone, then you are not showing mercy. Mercy means loving someone even when he or she has wronged you. Mercy means letting that person "off the hook." Mercy means letting go of your "right" to be mad or resentful. It's not always easy to forgive, of course. It's not always easy to show mercy. But it's always right.

REFLECT: Do you have a "forgiveness limit"? Is there someone you need to forgive? Perhaps there is someone you need to ask for forgiveness.

PRAY: "Lord, I'm sorry that I've had a hard time forgiving... Help me to show your mercy by..."

8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

OFF THE HOOK.

In the movie Hook, a Steven Spielberg retelling of the Peter Pan story, Peter (played by Robin Williams) and Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) engage in an epic sword fight as the children of Neverland and the adult Peter's two children, Jack and Maggie look on. Finally, after a fierce fight, Peter knocks Hook's sword from his hands, and the pirate falls to one knee. Peter levels his sword and points it at the neck of the man who killed his friend.

"You killed Rufio, you kidnapped my children, you deserve to die," Peter says. But Peter's children approach and his daughter, Maggie, lays a hand on Peter's arm. "Let's go home," she says. "Please. He's just a mean old man without a mommy." "Yeah, Dad," Jack agrees.

"Let's go home."

Peter lowers his sword. "Take your ship and go," he tells Hook. He puts away his sword in his belt and turns toward home, holding Jack and Maggie by the hand.

In the end, Hook meets his end anyway but not at the hands of Peter Pan.

Peter's action in sparing his enemy is heroic. He would have certainly been less heroic if he had executed Hook, even though Hook had tried to kill him. But why? Why do we feel that way?

Because mercy is right.

Mercy is right because God commands us to be merciful. The Bible says, "The Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

But mercy is not right only because God commands mercy; it is right also because God values mercy. His commands show what kind of attitude and behavior he values.

But mercy is not right only because God values mercy; it is right also because God is merciful. Mercy is a part of who God is. The Bible describes God as "a merciful God" (Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:31). The Bible also says he delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18). Mercy is right, then, not because we think it's right or because we feel it's right or even because everybody says it's right. Showing mercy is right because it reflects God's nature and character. And refusing to show mercy is wrong because it's not like God.

REFLECT: What makes an action or an attitude right? What makes an action or an attitude wrong? How do you know that God is merciful? How has God shown his mercy to you? to others you know?

PRAY: "God, you are merciful, and I thank you for your mercy. Help me to show mercy to others, especially when..."

8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

THE SAINT OF THE GUTTERS.

She's been called "the saint of the gutters."

She was eighteen years old when she joined a religious order and went to India. She began teaching in Calcutta. There she saw more poor people than she'd ever seen in her life. Her heart overflowed with mercy and compassion for them, so she asked and received permission to leave her sheltered life as a nun and start working among some of the poorest, hungriest, neediest people in the world.

She started scraping food together for the hungry. She began taking in children, orphans who had nowhere else to go. Eventually, the group she started, called the Missionaries of Charity, operated food kitchens, hospitals, schools, orphanages, and shelters for lepers and those who were dying.

She worked in obscurity for years before the world began to learn of her work of mercy. Then, in 1979, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to this "saint of the gutters," Mother Teresa. With the award came international recognition.

Today, it seems that everyone agrees that the mercy displayed by Mother Teresa is a good thing. Even when a lot of people claim that everyone has to "decide" what's right or wrong for himself or herself, no one would argue that what Mother Teresa does is wrong. It's easy to see that she is doing good, not evil. That judgment has nothing to do with what you think or what your culture thinks; what she does is good and admirable because it reflects what is good and admirable.

You see, it's not up to any one of us-or even all of us put together to decide whether mercy is right or wrong. God made it clear long ago that mercy is right, that acting mercifully toward others is good. Just about everybody in the world knows, in his heart of hearts, that mercy is right. That's why we admire Mother Teresa; not because we have decided that mercy is a virtue, but because we recognize that which God has already called good, because she models what God has told us is right.

REFLECT: Mother Teresa is a model of mercy in many ways. Can you think of someone else who shows mercy to other people?

You may not know any lepers or starving people to show mercy to, but there are people in your life who need mercy and compassion. How can you practice showing mercy and kindness to others this week?

PRAY: "God, help me not to go through a single day this week without showing mercy to at least one person."

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
8 the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUTH.

God did not create everything.

Does that statement surprise you? It's true.

Oh, he created the universe, with its countless galaxies of stars and planets, asteroids, and black holes.

He created this earth and all its rivers and oceans, mountains and valleys, rocks and grass and trees.

He created all the fish and creatures in the sea. He created dolphins, whales, swordfish, and tuna. He created the glassy eyes of the shark. He created the spoon shaped tail of the manatee. He created the poisonous fins of the lion fish and the eerie sleekness of the manta ray.

He created the broad wings of the condor and the rapid, darting flight of the hummingbird. He created the tufted ears of the Canada lynx and the long neck of the giraffe. He created the odd waddle of the armadillo, the grace of the antelope, the powerful jaws of a crocodile, and the purr of a kitten.

But God did not create everything. He didn't create truth because he is truth. Truth is a part of his nature.

Of course, there are some people who believe that there is no such thing as truth. "Truth is relative," they say. "It is different for each person." But even those who say such things believe that their own statement is true, or they would not say it.

But truth does not only exist, it is eternal and unchanging because it is a part of the nature of God. As Moses said, "He is ... a God of truth" (Deuteronomy 32:4, KJV). Truth also can be our guide, for we can pray as the psalmist did: "Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me" (Psalm 25:5).

REFLECT: Why does today's reading say that God did not create truth? How is truth related to God? Do you think it makes sense for someone to say that there is no such thing as truth? Why or why not?

PRAY: Look up Jesus' prayer for his disciples in John 17:17. Pray that verse aloud, making it your own prayer by saying me every time you see the word them.

20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.

THE SCREAM MACHINE.

"Let me show you something," Kyle said to his friend Jason as they climbed into the front car on the roller coaster. He gripped the safety bar and pulled it toward his lap, but not all the way. He leaned over to whisper to Jason. "I know how to keep it from locking into position."

As the ride jerked into motion, Kyle turned to Jason. "See?" he said, lifting the safety bar.

"Are you crazy?" Jason said.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Kyle said.

"I'm serious, Kyle." The train jerked again as it started up the huge hill that would send them plummeting down the other side.

Kyle shrugged. "Don't worry, I've done this before."

Jason gripped the bar and yanked it downward. Both boys heard it lock in place.

"What'd you do that for?" Kyle asked.

"Look, they put these bars here for a reason," Jason answered.

"Yeah, because they're wimps."

"No, because they don't want to peel your face off the ground after you fall!" "We're not going to fall out," Kyle insisted.

"Right," Jason said as they reached the crest of the hill. He patted the safety bar, locked in place across his lap, then lifted his arms high into the air over his head.

Some people react to God's laws about right and wrong the way Kyle felt about the safety bar on the roller coaster. They think that God's commands (like "Do not lie," "Honor your father and your mother," and "Flee sexual immorality") are intended to cramp their style and spoil their fun. They think that rules are meant to be broken and that people who break the most rules have the most fun.

But God's commands like the safety bar on a roller coaster are given to us for good reasons. They're not intended to spoil anyone's fun; they're intended for our own good, for our safety and protection. The people who break those rules may sometimes look like they're having the most fun, but looks can be deceiving.

Obeying God's commands doesn't just keep you safe while you're riding; it can also make the ride more fun.

REFLECT: How are God's commands like a safety bar on a roller coaster? How are they different? Do you think a safety bar does any good if it's not used? Do you think God's commands do you any good if you ignore them?

PRAY: "Thank you, Lord, for all your commands. Thank you for protecting me with your commands. Help me to obey your commands, especially when..."

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

SAY IT, SHOW IT.

Would you believe a person who claims to be a famous racecar driver but can't back his car out of his garage?

Would you believe a person who tells you she is a trapeze artist in a world-famous circus but is afraid to climb a ladder to change a light bulb?

Would you believe a person who claims to be the world's greatest psychic and then asks you what time it is?

Probably not, right? Why not? Because their actions don't support their claims.

It's no different when people say they love someone but don't show it by their actions. Such claims are hard to believe because there's no evidence to support their claims.

You see, it's one thing to talk about love, to say we love each other. It's something else entirely to really show we love each other by our actions. For example, you might say you love others, but when's the last time you did something to help Mrs. McCready, the old lady who looks like she's about three hundred years old and lives alone down the street and has to shovel the snow off her sidewalk and mow the lawn herself? You might say you love pretty much everybody, but how long has it been since you showed your love for someone with your actions and not only with words?

"It is by our actions," the apostle John said, "that we know we are living in the truth." Do your actions show your love for others?

REFLECT: Today's Scripture reading doesn't say that we should stop saying "I love you" to our parents, siblings, friends, and others we love; it says we should "stop just saying we love each other." In other words, we should say it and show it. Is there someone who needs to be reminded of your love? How can you do a better job of showing your love to others?

ACT: Suggest a family "project" to your parents to show God's love to someone outside your family (bake cookies for a shut-in, take the family pet to visit nursing home patients, send a card to a prisoner, babysit for a single parent, shovel snow for an elderly couple, or whatever).

PRAY: "God, I know that love comes from you. So please help me find a way to show love to... this week."

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THE DIFFERENCE LOVE MAKES.

Early in World War II, as Paris was being bombed mercilessly by Nazi planes, a French doctor named Rene Spitz made a remarkable discovery. He was appalled by the high death rate among babies in shelters and orphanages. Upon closer examination, he discovered that babies who received regular affection fared better than others. Intrigued, he conducted a brief experiment, dividing the babies into two groups. Both groups of infants were cared for physically; they were fed identical diets, bathed regularly, and their diapers were changed at regular intervals. There was only one difference between the two groups. One group of babies received hugs and kisses from their caretakers; they were cradled and held and rocked and patted. The other group received no affection from their caretakers but were cared for and provided for in every other way.

You can probably guess what happened. The babies who were cuddled and loved not only grew but thrived. The other babies, who had all their needs met except their need for love and affection, did not grow as fast; they cried more and succumbed to more illnesses than the opposite group. Their development was measurably stunted until the study was discontinued.

Those two groups of babies were different only in the amount of love and affection they received. But what a difference that made in their health and development! The study revealed that children who are not treated with affection do not develop properly, even though they may be well-nourished otherwise. It also shows how much human beings need to receive and give love in order to thrive.

That need doesn't change as we get older. Neither does the effect of love on a person's life. Obeying God's commands to love others can bring you love in return, which can actually make you healthier and happier. Obeying God's commands to love one another can help you "become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Obeying God's commands to love others can make a huge difference in your health and development. That's just part of the difference love makes in your life and in the lives of those around you.

REFLECT: Through today's Scripture reading we learn that godliness will lead to love for other Christians and then to an even wider kind of love. What is that wider love? Do you think it happens overnight? How do you think it happens?

How have you been blessed (made happier and healthier) by loving others? How have others been blessed by your love?

PRAY: "Thank you, God, for the way I feel when I let others know that I love them. Show me someone who needs my love this week."

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

LOVE CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY.

If one of your teachers gave you an assignment to list the happiest people in the history of the world, who would be on the list?

Adolph Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany?

Joseph Stalin, the communist dictator of Russia in the 1940s?

Nero, the Roman emperor who supposedly fiddled while Rome burned?

Herod the Great, who ordered the slaughter of all babies in his kingdom when he heard reports that a new king had been born somewhere around Bethlehem? (See Matthew 2:16-18.)

How about Haman, the guy in the biblical book of Esther who tried to engineer the destruction of Persia's Jewish population? (See Esther 3-4.)

What about Queen Jezebel, who was married to Ahab? She had a man killed just to take his land. (See 1 Kings 21.)

You mean none of those famous people would be on your list of the happiest people in the history of the world? Why not? They had it all power, prestige, wealth. Why don't you think of them as happy people? For one very good reason: Their lives were characterized by hate, and a hateful person is never a happy person.

Think about it. The happiest people you know are those who love other people, lots of people. The happiest people are the lovingest people. That's the way it works.

And God knows that's how it works. That's one reason he commands us to love one another, because he knows that hate hurts us and love enriches us. He knows that people who act in love toward all those around them experience love twice-when they give it away to another person and when they receive it back again.

A sixties singing group sang, "Love can make you happy." It's true. Obeying God's command to love one another provides for your health and happiness, because love really can make you happy.

REFLECT: Who would be on your list of the happiest people in the history of the world? Who are the happiest people you know? Think about those people who have come to mind. Are their lives characterized by hate or love?

ACT: Give a valentine to the most loving person you know. Then perform a loving act for a friend or family member.

PRAY: "Your love for me makes me happy, God. It makes me so happy that I want to be loving and act loving, too."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

DANCES WITH ANGELS.

Raybann and Soloplex, two of heaven's angels, exchanged high fives. "Yyyyyesss!" Raybann shouted. He grabbed Soloplex and started twirling him around and around in a dizzying dance of celebration in the thin air above the earth. "Did you see that?" Soloplex shouted. "Whoosh!"

They turned and peered together at the scene below them. The Israelites stood, high and dry, on the banks of the Red Sea. They had just crossed to freedom and safety as Raybann and Soloplex, under instructions from God, had rolled back the waters of the sea. The Israelites had hurried across the channel on the miraculously dry ground, while the armies of Egypt pursued them on horses and chariots. Once God's chosen people had safely reached the opposite shore, Raybann and Soloplex released the water, and the entire Egyptian army had been drowned in the returning waters of the sea, prompting the delirious celebration of the two angels.

Upon their return to heaven, however, Raybann and Soloplex were summoned into the presence of God. They were shocked to find the blinding light of his face dimmed and his expression sad.

"Is the Holy One not pleased with our success?" Raybann asked, bowing before God's throne with his face to the ground.

"You rejoice," God said. It was not a question.

"Your people are delivered, and their enemies are dashed to pieces," Soloplex reported.

God looked at his two messengers, and the sorrow in his expression turned their white robes to gray. "The work of my hands is sunk in the sea, and you rejoice!"

That story is a variation on a tale that has been told by rabbis for centuries to illustrate the love of God. Although Pharaoh and his armies sought to enslave even destroy God's chosen people, God loved them as he loves all his creation. And he makes it clear that he wants his children to display that same kind of love, even to those who are mean and hateful. He didn't say it would be easy to do those things, but he did say it is right.

REFLECT: Have you ever rejoiced at the fall of an enemy? How do you feel about that person now? Do you think Jesus' command to "love your enemies" instead of hating them means you have to feel love toward everyone? Does it mean acting in loving ways? Both? Neither?

PRAY: "God, thank you for your love and for reminding me that love is always right. Help me especially to love today... so that I may act as a true child of my Father in heaven."

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Adam and Eve

4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[d] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH.

1. Which flavor ice cream is best?

chocolate
rocky road
butter pecan
strawberry
vanilla
min chocolate chip

2. Who was the greatest baseball player?

Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Whitney Ford
Henry Aaron
Ted Williams
Leroy "Satchel" Paige

3. Which of these actions is wrong?

eating meat
water-skiing
kissing
lying
singing
sleeping

Now, those questions may seem pretty dumb to you. But I ask them for a reason.

Some people think there is no difference between questions #1 and #2 and question #3. But there is a huge difference.

The first question asks you to make a choice based on your taste. You may like chocolate ice cream, but your sister or friend may like vanilla ice cream best. So who's right? Both of you, because it's a matter of taste. Whether you're talking about ice cream, favorite colors, or favorite songs, different people have different tastes.

The second question asks you to make a choice based on opinion. You may have an opinion about who was the greatest ballplayer ever, but someone else who is equally informed may have a different opinion.

But the third question is a different kind of question entirely, because it asks you to make a choice involving, not taste or opinion, but right and wrong. You see, some things are a matter of taste, some things are a matter of opinion, and others are true beyond a shadow of a doubt. Some things are absolute truths-that means they are true for all people, for all places, and for all time. Those things are true no matter what you like or don't like; they're true no matter what your opinion is; they're true absolutely.

Now, there are some people today who claim that right and wrong are just a matter of taste or a matter of opinion. But God has already revealed to us in his Word what is absolutely right and what is absolutely wrong.

REFLECT: Some things are a matter of taste, some things are a matter of opinion, and others are true beyond a shadow of a doubt. Can you think of two actions or attitudes that belong to each category?

PRAY: "Thanks, God, for the way your Word makes the absolute truth absolutely clear."

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

HIDDEN TREASURE.

You're Dreaming. You're not sure how you know it's a dream. Maybe it's because you're seven years old again and God is standing before you wearing a pair of Reeboks and blue jeans. God has told you to make a wish and he'll make it come true. You wish for riches. Of course. Who wouldn't?

The next moment in your dream, you're old like maybe fifty. And you're not rich. In fact, you're upset with God for not making your wish come true as he had promised. "I asked you to make me rich," you complain to God. "I did," God answers softly.

"Nuh-uh," you protest. You turn your pockets inside out, revealing nothing but pocket lint and six cents, all in pennies.

"Remember when I gave you my commandment to 'act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God'? And remember when I told you to 'follow justice' and 'do for others what you would like them to do for you'?"

"Yeah," you say, nodding.

"Well, that alone was worth a fortune to you," God says.

"What?" you say. "How do you figure?"

"Well," says God, "let's just take one example. Obeying those commands protected you from the guilt of cheating people and treating them unfairly, right?" "Well, yeah," you say, "I guess so."

"That saved you the $27,410 you would have paid to a therapist to try to overcome your guilt. That doesn't even count the money you saved from not buying sleeping pills and antacids to combat the sleeplessness and indigestion that would have resulted if you had ignored my commands."

"Wow," you say, suddenly feeling very sheepish. "I guess I never thought about it that way before."

"So you see," God says, putting the calculator into the pocket of his jeans, "I really did grant you your wish. I made you rich-in more ways than one."

And you remind yourself that it's a dream, because in real life God wouldn't wear jeans or would he?

REFLECT: Why do you think obeying God's commands protects us from guilt and provides us with a clear conscience?

PRAY: "God, sometimes I wish for things that you know aren't right for me. Thanks for saying no. Now give me the 'treasure of good sense' today as I get ready to..."

THE HATFIELDS AND THE MCCOYS.

Nobody knows for sure how it started.

Maybe Jethro Hatfield horn swoggled Abner McCoy out of his favorite goat. Maybe Clem McCoy failed to tip his hat to Betty Jo Hatfield. Maybe Homer Hatfield cheated Milo McCoy out of the Eastern Kentucky Horseshoe Championship.

No matter how it got started, the feud between the Hatfield family and the McCoy clan of the Appalachian area of eastern Kentucky became one of the bloodiest and most famous feuds of modern times. Over the course of about thirty years, from 1860 to 1890, at least twenty people were killed by one side or the other. By the time the animosity faded, no one was really sure how and why it all started.

The tragic feud between the Hatfields and McCoys illustrates one way God's commands are intended to protect us. You see, back when God first issued the Ten Commandments to his people on Mount Sinai, feuds like the one between the Hatfields and the McCoys were fairly commonplace. An injustice committed by one person would often be avenged against his entire family, resulting in a bitter and deadly blood feud. If Abib accused Ibrahim of selling spoiled goat cheese, Ibrahim might have sought revenge by slaughtering Abib's entire flock. If Gad's ox gored Laban's son, Laban might have descended on Gad's tents some night and killed every male in his family.

God's commands to his people to treat others justly not only helped people understand what God was like but also protected them from revenge and provided for more peaceful relationships. God's commands protected his people from a cycle of wrongdoing, resentment, and revenge.

Following justice still protects us and provides for us. Treating other people fairly still promotes peace in our life and protects us from the destructive cycle of revenge. The teacher who treats his or her students fairly will more likely be rewarded with appreciative and achieving students. The Burger Heaven employee who treats her coworkers fairly will more likely be promoted to supervisor later on.

God's concern for justice reflects his nature and character and his love for us, because he knows that treating people fairly will protect and provide for us.

REFLECT: You may already have enjoyed God's protection and provision in your life as a result of treating someone fairly. Can you think of any instance when you might have avoided resentment and revenge by treating someone fairly? Have you witnessed any vengeful situation (at school, for example) that might have been avoided if one person had acted justly?

PRAY: "Lord, thank you for your protection and provision. Help me to treat others fairly, even when it's difficult or tempting to do otherwise."

MARIA'S MISTAKE.

Mr. Lundstrom adjusted his tie in the mirror. "Who's baby sitting the kids tonight?" he asked. He and his wife were going to a neighbor's anniversary party.

"I finally got Kelly Kenton," Mrs. Lundstrom said. "But it took forever. I didn't think I was going to find anyone."

"Whatever happened to Maria from down the street?" Mr. Lundstrom asked. "She hasn't watched the kids in a long time."

His wife stood beside her husband and brushed her hair. "The last two times she stayed with the kids, she overcharged me; she expected almost twice as much as the Vanovers pay her." She shrugged and set the brush down on the counter. "I just decided I wouldn't ask her to babysit anymore."

Maria may never know why she lost her regular babysitting job with the Lundstroms. She may never discover that Mrs. Lundstrom stopped calling her because she felt that Maria had treated her unfairly. But then, few people realize the cost of acting unfairly or the reward of acting justly.

You see, God's commands are not intended to spoil our fun or to make our life more difficult. God didn't command us to "do justly" because he wanted to be a pain in the neck; he gave us that command and all his commands to protect us and provide for us. And his command to act justly toward each other can protect us from dishonor and disappointment, providing honor and fulfillment for us.

Take Maria, for example; if she had not overcharged the Lundstrom's but had treated them the same way she treated the Vanovers, she probably would have kept her job babysitting the Lundstrom kids. Even if she never fully realized how acting justly benefited her, she would have enjoyed the rewards.

You may never completely realize all the ways that acting justly benefits you, either, but if you treat everyone fairly, you will nonetheless experience the protection and provision that come as a result of obeying God's commands.

REFLECT: Have you or your parents ever stopped going to a store (such as a grocery store or drugstore) or business (such as a doctor or auto mechanic) because you thought you were being cheated or treated unfairly? If you answered yes, do you think the business owner knew about losing your business?

Obeying God's commands to treat other people fairly can protect you from dishonor and provide honor for you. That does not mean that people will always recognize or appreciate your fairness; it does mean, however, that over the course of time, you will more likely be highly regarded and respected.

PRAY: "Lord, I don't often consciously think about being fair until someone treats me unfairly. Help me make fairness a way of life."

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.

SUPER POWERS.

Do you think Superman and Batman became superheroes by accident? Do you think they just woke up one morning in a cape and tights? No, sir. Like all superheroes, they had to pass the SAT first (Superhero Aptitude Test). Would you like to be a superhero, too? Take the following test and see if you qualify:

1. If you could be a superhero, who would you choose to be?

Superman
Batman
The Tick
Spider-Man
A Power Ranger
Other

2. If you could have your own super powers, which ones would you choose?

ability to fly
super strength
ability to shoot spider
ability to shoot lasers
ability to shrink or grow
ability to


3. If you could use your super powers any way you wanted, would you

defend the oppressed and downtrodden?

go all over the world doing good?
use your powers to steal all the money in the world?

use your powers to become really popular?

fight for truth and justice?

fight for better school lunches?

other

Now, simply mail your completed Superhero Aptitude Test to the Planet XR37 and allow eighteen thousand light-years for delivery of the results.

Actually, the Superhero Aptitude Test won't get you a gig as the next comic book hero; but it may reveal a thing or two about you, just as God's super powers-and the ways he uses them-reveal something about him. He uses his powers to promote justice because he is just and fair. And because he is just, it is always right for us to be just.

REFLECT: While you don't have superpowers, do you use the powers you do possess (intelligence, for example, or physical health) to accomplish good things (like justice)? Or do you use your "powers" mostly for selfish purposes? Does the use of your "powers" reveal anything about your character?

PRAY: Use the Scripture reading above as the basis for a prayer of praise. (For example, "0 God, how glorious you are! You are my Rock.")

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

FAIR PLAY.

Clive Staples (C. S.) Lewis, a famous twentieth century British writer, wrote the Chronicles of Narnia. You may have read these books. They describe the adventures of Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy, who discovered a magic wardrobe that took them to the land of Narnia. Lewis also authored a series of science fiction novels about a distant planet called Perelandra. Then he created a famous exchange of letters between two devils named Screwtape and Wormwood in his book The Screwtape Letters.

One of Lewis' most influential books is Mere Christianity. In that book, he had a number of things to say about fair play. He wrote:

Everyone has heard people quarreling. Sometimes it sounds funny and sometimes it sounds merely unpleasant; but however it sounds, I believe we can learn something very important from listening to the kind of things they say. They say things like this: "How'd you like it if anyone did the same to you?" "That's my seat, I was there first" "Leave him alone, he isn't doing you any harm"-"Why should you shove in first?" "Give me a bit of your orange, I gave you a bit of mine" "Come on, you promised." People say things like that every day, educated people as well as uneducated, and children as well as grown-ups.

Now what interests me about all these remarks is that the man who makes them is not merely saying that the other man's behavior does not happen to please him. He is appealing to some kind of standard of behavior which he expects the other man to know about.... It looks, in fact, very much as if both parties had in mind some kind of Law or Rule of fair play or decent behavior or morality or whatever you like to call it, about which they really agreed. And they have. If they had not, they might, of course, fight like animals, but they could not quarrel in the human sense of the word. Quarreling means trying to show that the other man is in the wrong. And there would be no sense in trying to do that unless you and he had some sort of agreement as to what Right and Wrong are. . . .

It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may sometimes be mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a mere matter of taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table [C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1943, 1945, 1952), pp. 3-4, 6].

REFLECT: If C. S. Lewis attended your school, what phrases appealing to a sense of justice or fairness would he hear most often?

PRAY: "I like to be treated fairly, God. Help me to treat others that way this week."

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

DOUBLE FAULT.

You're a tennis player. You're playing a critical game in an important tournament. You're serving for the match; if you win this point, you're the champion. You toss the ball into the air and hit it with all your might, but your serve sails past the other player and lands on the grass outside the fence that surrounds the tennis court. "Second serve," the umpire announces.

You get one more chance to serve for the match. You toss the ball into the air and hit it. This time your serve hits the net and bounces back into your court. "Double fault," the umpire intones.

You shake your head in disappointment and prepare to serve again. But the umpire informs you that the score is now tied. You charge the umpire's chair.

"No way!" you protest. "I want to serve again!" You throw your racket to the ground and insist that you always take three serves, not two. You scream that you've been playing tennis for five years. "You have no right to tell me how the game is supposed to be played!" you howl. "I'll decide that for myself." Enraged, you throw your arms up in disgust and storm off the court.

You'd never act that way, of course. You're much too nice, right? Besides, everyone knows that two missed serves a double fault, in tennis lingo scores a point for the server's opponent. Those are the rules. That's the way the game is played.

Yet, surprisingly, a lot of people expect the rules of right and wrong to be different. They think they can make up their own rules as they go along, changing what's wrong or right to fit their mood or circumstance. But right and wrong are just as clear as the rules of tennis. Everyone knows that stealing is wrong and integrity is right; cruelty is wrong, and mercy is right; hate is wrong, and love is right. Those are the rules. And, like the Bible says, "You are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us" (James 4:11-12).

Of course, as long as good and evil exist in the world, people will continue to try to make up their own rules. But not you. You're much too smart, right?

REFLECT: Do you think tennis would be more fun or less fun if everyone could make up his or her own rules? Why? Do you think life is more fun or less fun when we obey God's rules? Why?

ACT: Challenge a friend or family member to a set of tennis, and use that as an opportunity to share the point of today's reading with him or her. Or simply place a tennis ball or tennis racket in a prominent place in your room this week to remind you that your job is to obey God's rules, not to try to change them or challenge them.

PRAY: "Creator God, you are much wiser than I am. Forgive me for questioning your rule about..."

28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

MUCK AND MIRE.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, two young peasants a brother and sister named Muck and Mire left home together. They packed a lunch and skipped through the front door of their home.

"Where are you going?" their mother asked.

"We're off to see the king!" they answered. (They often talked in unison. They were very close, you see.) They pointed to the royal castle on the hillside.

Their mother smiled. "That's nice. Be sure you're home in time for dinner."

Muck and Mire just laughed. They planned to have dinner with the king and all his noblemen and servants at the palace. Before long, Muck and Mire met a woman washing clothes on the rocks by the river.

"Pray tell us," they said to the woman in unison, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."

The old woman glared at them. "Whatcha talkin' all funny for?" she barked. "This ain't no fairy tale. Besides, there ain't no king. Now run along!"

Muck and Mire left the woman and continued on their journey. Before long they met a man carrying a large pig.

"Pray tell us," they said, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."

"Forsooth," the man said. "Each of us must find the king himself. I cannot tell thee where to find the king." And he walked away.

Muck and Mire began to get discouraged. They hung their heads in disappointment and hardly noticed the man who approached them. He wore long, flowing robes of purple and scarlet, trimmed with white fur. A golden scepter was in his right hand, a jeweled crown of gold sat on his head, and a paper name tag was pasted over his heart. On the name tag was written, in magic marker, "King."

"Pray tell us," they said, "how we mightest findeth the kingeth."

The man smiled. "I that speak unto thee am he."

"No, really," they said. "We want to meet the king."

The man pointed a finger at his name tag. "See?" he said. He pointed to his crown and waved his scepter at them. "I'm the king."

Muck turned to Mire. "Let's go home," he said. "We'll never find the king."

"Yeah," Mire agreed. They shook their heads and turned away from the man with the crown and the scepter.

REFLECT: How was Muck and Mire's mistake like Pilate's mistake in today's Bible reading? How were the reactions of the laundry woman and the pig farmer similar to how some people today think about right and wrong? Is either reaction similar to your own?

PRAY: "Lord Jesus, you are my King. You are "the way, the truth, and the life." Help me to follow you, obey you, and live for you."

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

THE PRICE IS STEEP.

Have you ever seen the game show The Price Is Right? It's been on TV since Noah was a teenager. One of the games contestants play on the show involves matching different products with the correct prices. See if you can match the items in the first list with the price tags in the second list below:

1. NEWSPAPER
2. NEW MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE
3. BOTTLED WATER (16 OZ.)
4. ONE-MINUTE COMMERCIAL DURING MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
5. POSTAGE STAMP
6. COMPUTER WITH MONITOR, PRINTER, CD-ROM
7. SCHOOL LUNCH
8. 1910 HONUS WAGNER BASEBALL CARD
9. FAX MACHINE
10. VISIT TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

A. $800,000
B. $1,500
C. $400
D. $1.75
E. $55
F. $25,000
G. 35-50C
H. $1.25
I. $451,000
J. 32 C

Now, the price of some of those items may seem steep, $451,000 for a baseball card? (That's what hockey great Wayne Gretzky and a partner paid for the rare card in 1991.) Others like a postage stamp or a newspaper may seem like bargains by comparison.

To be honest, sometimes the price of doing the right thing can be pretty steep, too. Sometimes doing the right thing can make you feel like a party pooper or a geek. It might cost you a friend. It might cost you money. It's even cost people their lives. It's enough to make you wonder why anybody would choose to do right.

There's no doubt about it, doing the right thing can be hard. It can seem dumb. But though it may seem hard at the time, the price of doing wrong is usually steeper-maybe not right away, but in the long run. Doing wrong can end up costing you friends. It can get you in really big trouble. It could even cost you your life ... and your soul.

That's what God's trying to tell us in today's Scripture reading. He does not promise that we will be rewarded in this life for every right choice we make. But he does promise that obeying his commands will accomplish our good maybe not right now, but in the long run, and certainly in eternity. As Proverbs 21:21 says, "Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor."

REFLECT: Have you ever made the wrong choice because the cost of making the right choice seemed too high? Are you glad you made the choice you did? Would you do it differently if you could?

PRAY: "God, help me to do the right thing, even when it's hard to..."

ANSWERS: 1G; 2F; 3H; 4A; 5C; 6B; 7D; 8I; 9C; 10E

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

A SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

The serpent slowly approached the woman.

"Yo, mama," he said.

The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. She knew this snake; he'd once offered to take her for a ride in his convertible. But she was too smart for him; she knew snakes couldn't drive.

"Take a look at this," he whispered. He showed her a shiny, emerald-green fruit. The morning dew still glistened on its soft skin. "It's tastier than all the fruits in the Garden," he told her, locking gazes with her. "It's sweet and juicy and feels warm and cool all at the same time." He pushed the fruit under the woman's nose. "Here, mama, give it a sniff."

"I know where you got that," she said accusingly. "You got it from the tree in the middle of the Garden."

"So what if I did? Who says you can't eat from any ol' tree you want?"

"You know," she answered slowly. She was sure she'd had this same conversation with the serpent many times before. Yet now she could scarcely remember what she'd said, what he'd said, even what God had said.

"Oh, come on now." He moved closer to her until his head was almost resting on her shoulder. "God doesn't want you eating this fruit because he just wants to control you." He flashed a charming smile. "But I think you're old enough to make those decisions yourself, don't you?"

He watched as she blinked. "Of course," he continued, his voice as smooth as dew rolling off a leaf, "I can always eat it myself."

She stared at the fruit in silence.

Finally, he jerked the fruit away. "Never mind," he said sharply. "Later, mama."

"No, wait!" she shouted. She covered her mouth with a hand, shocked at the volume of her own voice. "Wait," she repeated softly. "I want to taste it."

"Now you're talking, mama." He watched with grinning satisfaction as her slender fingers grasped the fruit and lifted it to her mouth. Juice dripped down her chin as she bit into the fruit. Her eyes widened as she chewed, and her face blushed red for the first time. She felt an odd pleasure and something else, something new, something she could not name. She didn't know what to call it, but it scared her. And it hurt.

The serpent smiled wickedly. "Now, mama," he said, "let me show you some designer fig leaves that I can sell you real cheap."

REFLECT: The woman not only took a piece of fruit from the serpent; she also tried to take something that belonged only to God the power to decide good and evil. Her husband, Adam, later did the same thing. What disastrous results occurred?

PRAY: "Give me your strength, God, to resist temptation. I especially need your help to flee from..."

17 “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.”

GOTTA HAVE IT.

Soft drink companies wage a constant battle with new slogans and clever commercials in their efforts to get you to buy their brand instead of their competitors' brands. See if you can match the following slogans and soft drinks.

1. GOTTA HAVE IT!
2. DO THE DEW
3. OBEY YOUR THIRST
4. UH-HUH!
5. SQUIRT YOUR THIRST
6. JUST WHAT THE DR. ORDERED
7. IT'S AN UP THING
8. THE FOAM GOES STRAIGHT TO YOUR BRAIN
9. IT'S THE REAL THING

A. COCA-COLA
B. SPRITE
C. 7UP
D. PEPSI-COLA
E. MUG ROOT BEER
F. DR. PEPPER
G. DIET PEPSI
H. MOUNTAIN DEW
I. SQUIRT

Some of those soft drink slogans are more well known than others, but Pepsi's "Gotta Have It!" is among the most appropriate and not just for a cola. Have you ever seen a friend wearing a cool hat or pair of shoes and thought, Gotta have it? Have you ever seen a classmate's science fair project and thought, Gotta have it?

That's the kind of feeling God was talking about when he commanded us not to covet. But the tenth commandment does more than tell us what God doesn't want us to do. It also reveals something important about God. It reveals that God values contentment. And God values contentment because he never wants; he has everything he needs because he is everything he needs. And he wants us to be content with what he gives us. When we are content, instead of constantly wanting or demanding more, we reflect what God is like.

Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher, wrote, "The climax of the Ten Commandments is the Tenth Commandment. Any time that we break one of the other commandments of God, it means that we have already broken this commandment, in coveting."* Think about it. When a person steals, he first covets what he steals; when a person lies, she first covets what will be gained by lying, and so on. In that way, the sin of coveting is at the root of all sin.

REFLECT: How does God want us to look at possessions? Is it wrong to admire what someone else has? When does admiration become coveting?

PRAY: "God, help me appreciate what I have, to enjoy the beautiful things around me, and to be content with you and all you have given me."

*Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971), p. 7.

ANSWERS: 1D; 2H; 3B; 4G; 5I; 6F; 7E; 8F; 9A

16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

Have you ever noticed the headlines of some of the newspapers in the racks beside the grocery store checkout lines?

"Alien spaceship found in New Mexico!" (It was a four-seat plane from Mexico.)

"Baby born with treasure map on its back!" (It was a birthmark.)

"I gave birth to Elvis's two-headed alien love child!" (Yeah, right.)

"Vince Foster's ghost haunts White House!" (The floor in the west wing creaks.)

Do people really believe this stuff? They certainly buy it. Supermarket tabloids sell millions of newspapers every week, so somebody out there must be reading it, liking it, and maybe even believing it.

Of course, those newspapers aren't the only ones to "embellish" the truth or even to stretch it to its breaking point. You and I do it all the time. We may not claim to have seen Elvis at the local Wal-Mart, but we do stretch the truth sometimes. After all, what's the harm of a "little white lie"?

A lot. God has another word for "stretching the truth" or "embellishing the truth." He calls it lying. He says, "Do not testify falsely against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16), and "Do not lie" (Leviticus 19:11). But lying, whether it's a little white lie or a big fat one, is wrong not just because God says it is. The ninth commandment reveals God as a God who values truth because he himself is true.

Another reason God tells us to avoid lying and to speak the truth is that lying is destructive. Ananias and Sapphira found that out in one deadly lesson! Lying separates us from God. It erodes our character and destroys our reputation. It makes us less like God.

God wants to save us from all that by showing us, through his commandments, what he is like. When we reflect his nature, we also make things a lot easier on ourselves.

REFLECT: The ninth commandment tells us not to lie. What does that reveal about what God is like? Do you think God ever lies? Why or why not?

Finish this statement: "I reflected God's nature this week when I...
If you can't finish the statement, what could you do now to reflect God's nature?

ACT: Cut out letters from news headlines to form the words "Do not lie." Arrange them on a piece of paper. Then attach the paper to your mirror, bulletin board, or refrigerator as a reminder to always speak the truth.

PRAY: "I'm sorry, God, that it's hard for me to tell the truth when... Help me to be more like you."

15 “You shall not steal.

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

MEAT LOAF, THE MOTHER SHIP, AND GOD.

You go to a friend's house for dinner. When it's time to eat, you head for the bathroom to wash up, but your friend says, "Skip it. We never wash our hands before eating." Your friend's behavior would probably make you think:

(a) Your own family is weird for washing up before every meal.

(b) Your friend's family must keep their hands really clean between meals.

(c) You'd better not eat the meat loaf.

You sit beside a lady on the bus. She hands you a roll of aluminum foil and whispers, "The alien invasion starts at noon tomorrow. Use this to signal the Mother Ship." Her statement prompts you to conclude:

(a) You should skip school and wait for the Mother Ship.

(b) She's probably a spy and mistook you for her "contact."

(c) This lady is a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

You ascend a great big mountain in a vast desert. God meets you there and gives you ten commandments, one of which says: "You shall not steal." You figure that

(a) God needs a better speech writer;

(b) God's making this stuff up off the top of his head;

(c) God values trustworthiness.

If you didn't answer (c) for each of the above, we need to have a talk, especially about the third scenario. You see, a lot of people understand that God said, "You shall not steal." But they don't understand why God said that. They know stealing is wrong, but they don't understand why it's wrong. They know God's not so keen on the idea of swiping a few dollars from your brother's dresser drawer, but they don't know why God has such a problem with it.

The eighth commandment, "Do not steal," was not just thrown into the Ten Commandments because God thought, Hey, that's a good one, let's throw it in there. He included that one because it communicates something very important: God wants us to be trustworthy because he values trustworthiness. He values trustworthiness because he is trustworthy. The eighth commandment reveals an important truth about God: He is a trustworthy God, and he wants us to reflect his nature and character.

REFLECT: The eighth commandment reveals God as a trustworthy God. Can you think of other reasons to believe that he is trustworthy? Do you trust him? Why or why not?

PRAY: "God, I thank you for being trustworthy. Help me place my trust in you. And enable me to be trustworthy, too, especially when I..."

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam[a] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

1 + 1 = 1.

Alex usually hated science class, so he hardly paid attention when Mr. Brooks started the demonstration. Mr. Brooks was saying something about "sodium" and "unstable" or something when suddenly there was a loud POP. Alex jumped a little more than the students paying attention and heard Mr. Brooks say, "And that is how violent just a small amount of pure sodium can be."

Cool! thought Alex, who was now paying close attention to the science teacher.

"Then there is chlorine. In its pure form, it is a poisonous gas, and only a small amount would kill all of us."

Wow, thought Alex. Explosions and poison gas. This is cool.

"When we combine the two ..."

Here it comes! It'll blow your guts out while it poisons you!

"We get plain old, everyday table salt." Mr. Brooks held up a glass saltshaker. "The salt you sprinkle on your popcorn and French fries is sodium chloride, a combination of these two elements. Combining the two makes each much more useful to our everyday life."

Alex stared at the saltshaker in Mr. Brooks' hand and soon imagined what it would be like to sprinkle pure sodium on his popcorn. The popcorn would really go POP! he thought. Before long he was daydreaming again, as if Mr. Brooks and the whole science class had never existed.

God intended marriage to be something like that combination of sodium and chlorine Mr. Brooks talked about. Marriage brings together two very different entities a male and a female and unites them in a relationship that makes them both more useful than each one individually would be. And God also intends for that relationship to reflect his nature and character. That's why he gave his people the seventh commandment, "Do not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). God is pure and faithful, and he wants the relationship between a husband and wife to be the same way.

When impurities like unfaithfulness and mistrust enter the relationship between a husband and wife, the results can be more explosive than sodium and more poisonous than chloride. God knows that. And because he loves us, he wants to protect us all from the tragedy that comes with impurities in a marriage. He wants to provide for us the blessings that characterize a marriage that is pure and faithful like he is.

REFLECT: Who is the happiest married couple you know? What do you think makes them happy? Do you plan to get married? What kind of marriage do you want?

PRAY: "God, remove any impurities that are affecting my relationships now. Prepare me for my adult life, whether your plans are for me to be single or married."

13 “You shall not murder.

Cain and Abel

4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

RUN, RABBIT, RUN.

Poor Wile E. Coyote. Even with all the help of ACME technology, he has been unable to kill the Roadrunner (meep, meep)! Slingshots, rockets, nets, bear traps, holes in the ground, trains, cars, and snares have been used to try and catch Roadrunner; anvils, bombs, guns, special bow and arrow sets, missiles, fighter planes, and a variety of other weapons have been used to try to kill Roadrunner. But Roadrunner just pauses long enough to wag his tongue, say "meep meep," and speed away in a cloud of dust.

And Elmer Fudd has yet to have "Bugs Bunny Stew." He's used more shotgun shells than anyone on television, yet that "wascally wabbit" is still kicking, still chewing carrots, and still asking, "What's up, Doc?"

We root for Roadrunner and Bugs; we love it when Tweety outwits Sylvester, when Jerry outruns Tom. We pull for them to escape the murderous intentions of their enemies. They're just cartoon characters, but we naturally want to see them escape harm. Why do we care what happens to cartoon critters? Why would we be horrified if Wile E. Coyote finally succeeded in his aim to end Roadrunner's life?

Two reasons: We know, deep in our heart, that life is beautiful, and we know that murder is ugly.

We know it because God has planted that awareness in us, and it's reflected in his command, "Do not murder" (Exodus 20:13). That's why murder is wrong. But there's more to it than that. Murder is wrong not just because it has something to do with God's commands. It is wrong because it does not reflect God his nature or his character.

God commanded us not to murder because his very nature is offended by murder. He is a living God, the author of life itself, and he commands us to be like him in our respect for human life, for all those created in the image of God.

REFLECT: Some ancient rabbis taught that the name God gave himself "I AM" (Exodus 3:14) revealed God as pure being, pure life, the source of all being. Can you think of any form of life that does not owe its existence to God? Why or why not?

Does respecting human life only mean not committing murder? What are some other ways to show respect for human life?

As you pass people in the halls at school or church or elsewhere today, try to look at each person as someone infinitely valuable, created in the image of God.

PRAY: "Thanks, God, for life! Thank you for creating me in your image. Thanks for creating... too."

1 Corinthians 10:13 New International Version (NIV)

No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

LEARNING RESPECT.

Someone told me that when he was very young, his grandfather showed him how to use a hand saw. (That's the one about six inches wide with sharp teeth and no electrical power.)

"First," he said, "carefully make a pencil line showing exactly where you want to cut. Then check your measurement again to make sure you marked it right. Measure twice, cut once."

He continued, "Make sure the piece of wood you are cutting is on a smooth, steady surface. If it isn't, the wood could shift and throw you off the mark. Then, holding the piece of wood as securely as possible with your knee or hand or both, begin slowly to saw. Start the cut so you have a guide rut for the saw.

"And above all, keep your hand away from the saw!" As he said this, he held up his hand; two fingers were half as long as the others, fingers that had been cut off at the knuckle. My friend said his eyes must have widened as he absorbed the message of his grandfather's experience.

One of the reasons God gave us parents, grandparents, and guardians is that he wants us to learn from their experience. It may be hard to believe, but your parents used to be kids-a million years ago! They've done a lot of stuff, and they've even made mistakes. Not all their mistakes cost them a finger or two, but they have made your parents a little smarter and wiser than they once were.

That's why God commands us to honor our parents or guardians. He knows that their experience has taught them a few things, and he wants us to learn from them, without losing any digits or limbs! But there's another reason God wants us to honor our parents. Like all his commandments, his commandment to honor our parents reveals something about his nature. The fifth commandment reveals that he is a God who values respect.

Respect is important to God because it's a part of who he is. It's also important to him because a healthy respect for our parents (and grandparents) can provide for us and protect us, just like the grandfather's bad experience with a saw helped his grandson reach adulthood with all of his fingers intact!

REFLECT: Think back on the instructions and correction a parent has given you in the past couple of days. Have you honored him or her by taking those instructions to heart? How can you honor your parent or parents better in the future?

ACT: Wear a string or draw a line around the middle of one of your fingers today to remind you of the value of honoring your parents or guardians and learning from them.

PRAY: "God, you know it's hard for me to honor my parents when...

Help me to remember that they've had experiences I haven't had. And help me to show that I want to honor them by."

Mark 2:23-27 (NIV)

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Hebrews 4:4 (NIV)

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[a]

TGFS (THANK GOD FOR SUNDAY).

The final bell rang. Jesse slammed his locker door shut and started toward the school doors. He saw Steven in the jostling crowd ahead and pushed forward until he was walking beside his friend.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Jesse asked.

Steven shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess. How about you?"

"I'm gonna be pretty busy down at church. Our youth group is helping with worship on Sunday, so ..."

"You sound like you enjoy that stuff," Steven said.

"I do! Sunday mornings are great. And then we (my family, I mean) usually spend Sunday afternoons doing stuff together. Even if we just play Monopoly, it's kinda cool because it's different from any other day in the week. And Sunday dinner is always the best meal of the week."

"Your Sunday is sure different from mine. The only way I know it's Sunday is that there's more newspaper lying around the house."

Jesse shrugged as he and Steven boarded the school bus together. "My parents say that Sunday shows us God's grace, because he gives us a day not to work. It reminds us that he gives us things, not because we deserve them, but just because that's the way God is!"

Is your Sunday any different from the rest of the week? Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man; that means it's a special day with a special meaning. We are to use it as God's day to understand more about him, especially about his graciousness toward us.

It's not always easy to know how to make and keep Sunday special. Even in Jesus' time there was disagreement over how people should spend the Sabbath (as today's reading shows). But from the beginning, God wanted us to enjoy a special day of rest and re-creation.

REFLECT: Sabbath is a Hebrew word that means "to stop doing something." What do you stop doing on your Sabbath? What do you start doing? How is your Sunday different from other days? What can you do to make it more special?

PRAY: "God, sometimes I forget what Sunday is all about. Help me to remember your graciousness for your sake and for mine."

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

A HOLY GOD.

Basketball great Charles Barkley, after signing a new million-dollar contract, once responded to reporters' questions by saying, "I'm so tired of talking about money, money, money. I just want to play basketball, drink Pepsi, and wear Reeboks!"

Barkley was joking, of course. Not only does his basketball playing earn him millions of dollars, he is also paid a lot of money for his endorsement of products like Pepsi-Cola and Reeboks. These companies pay Barkley, and other celebrities and athletes like him, to endorse their products because they want that star's name to be associated with their drink, shoe, car, or long distance phone company.

Of course, celebrities want their name to be linked with good products, too. Charles Barkley probably wouldn't have endorsed Dirty Joe's Puke Juice, even if they'd offered him more money than PepsiCo. He probably would have turned down an offer from Ugly Shoes That Don't Fit 'R' Us, even if they could have paid him more than Reebok, Inc. Why? Because who wants his or her name to be associated with something crummy, shoddy, or "uncool"?

You can understand that, can't you?

If you can, then maybe you can see why God is so concerned about how his name is used. You can see why, in the Ten Commandments, God told his people not to misuse his name. And you can see why, in Leviticus 19:12, God said, "Do not use my name to swear a falsehood and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord."

See, God is a holy God. He is perfectly pure, good, and righteous. And because he's holy, he doesn't want his name to be associated with anything evil or false or frivolous (anything unimportant, silly, or careless). That's why it's wrong to use God's name in a profane expression. That's why it's wrong to use God's name thoughtlessly, even in popular expressions such as "omigod." That's why it's wrong to use God's name to cover up a lie or swear to something that's false. Because doing those kinds of things offends God's holiness.

If Charles Barkley and other famous people like him have good reasons to protect their names, God has infinitely better reasons.

REFLECT: When God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, the common practice was to swear an oath with the name of a god in an effort to make the oath more believable. Some people follow similar practices even today. Think of an example.

Do you ever tie God's name to anything evil or false or frivolous? Think about the commandment in Exodus 20:7. How can you change this behavior?

ACT: Place a soft-drink bottle (or your name-brand tennis shoes) in a prominent place in your room or school locker to remind you to honor God's name today.

PRAY: "God, I know that your name is misused a lot. The next time I hear that happen, whether it's a friend or me doing it, help me remember to..."

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

A SPIRIT GOD.

"What's the big deal?" Omri asked his friend Levi. The pair sat beside Omri's family tent in the desert; the great Mount Sinai loomed in the distance.

"Huh?" Levi adjusted his striped headgear to shield his face from the sand.

Omri pointed to the front page headline of the local newspaper, The Sinai Grumbler: "Moses returns from mountain, reports Ten Commandments given to him by God."

"I just don't see what the big deal is," Omri explained, kicking the pebbles on the ground with his sandaled feet. "I mean, some of these commandments make sense. But listen to number two: 'Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must never worship or bow down to them,' it says."

"Yeah, so?" Levi asked.

"I don't get it," Omri explained. He pointed to the sky. "Why should he care if we use a little carving of a bird or a cow to imagine what he might be like?" "Is he a bird or a cow?" Levi's face showed his confusion. "Well... no." "Is he a fish?" "No," Omri answered. "What is he, then?"

"He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! He's the God of all our people." "But what does he look like?" Levi asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Omri answered. "I've never seen him."

Levi shrugged. "Neither have I. And Moses says he can be anywhere and every-where all at the same time. I don't know any fish or birds that can do that. So maybe making pictures or statues would distort our worship."

Omri looked thoughtful but unconvinced.

"Look at it this way," Levi suggested. "How would you like for me to make a statue of a goat and say it looks like you?"

"Yeah, right," Omri countered. "Me, a goat?"

"Yeah, you're right. You don't smell quite that nice," Levi said, as he jumped to his feet and ran away to avoid the pebbles Omri threw in his direction.

REFLECT: When God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, the nations all around them worshiped false gods in the form of bulls, hawks, men, women even frogs! What do you think their lives were like without God? Why do you think God commanded his people to worship him without making idols? What do you think the second commandment reveals about God? (Clue: Check out John 4:24.)

PRAY: "God, I may not be able to see and touch you the way I might see and touch a statue or a picture, but I thank you that I can learn about you and know you in other ways, like..."

And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

A ONE OF A KIND GOD.

What's the most famous painting in the world? Probably the Mona Lisa.

Leonardo da Vinci painted a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, the young wife of a wealthy merchant, around 1503 in Florence, Italy. The smile he captured on the woman's face has mystified people ever since its creation. Is she happy? Is she sad? Is her smile appearing? Is it disappearing? Or does she just have a little indigestion?

You've seen the picture, right? Probably not. You've seen copies. You've seen it reproduced in encyclopedias, classrooms, textbooks, television shows but unless you've visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, you've never seen the actual Mona Lisa.

The Mona Lisa is unique. It's one of a kind. There is no other painting like it.

What is true of the Mona Lisa is true, in a much greater and deeper way, of our God. He is unique. He's one of a kind. There is no one like him. When Moses ascended the slopes of Mount Sinai many years ago, God delivered the Ten Commandments:

Then God instructed the people as follows: "I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:1-3).

The first commandment God gave to Moses revealed that he is unique. There is no one like him. But his uniqueness exceeds the uniqueness of the Mona Lisa. There is only one Mona Lisa in the world, but there are many paintings. There is only one God in the universe, and there is none other. He's not only unique in his class, he's alone in his class! He alone is God. He says, "Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other" (Isaiah 45:22).

That is why God tells us to worship no one but him. And that's why we will never be satisfied worshiping someone-or something else.

REFLECT: Do you worship only God? Are you devoted to anyone or anything else? How do you know? What other things in the world can be truly called unique? Are any of those things unique in the way that God is unique?

ACT: Look for a picture of the Mona Lisa. (Try looking in an encyclopedia.) If possible, keep a copy of the painting posted on your bedroom door or bathroom mirror. Every time you see it this week, take a moment to think about God's uniqueness.

PRAY: "God, I'm really glad that I don't need to look anywhere else for salvation. I praise you for being the only God there is."

7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

A DETECTIVE STORY.

Dr. Watson had not told the great detective Sherlock Holmes that he had recently gotten married. He was surprised, therefore, when Holmes greeted him, acting as if he'd known it all along.

"Wedlock suits you," he remarked. "And I see you're in practice again."

Watson expressed his shock. How did Holmes know?

"It is simplicity itself," Holmes answered. "You have gained seven and a half pounds since I last saw you." "Seven," Watson corrected.

"Indeed, I should think more. And you walk into my rooms smelling of iodoform, with a black mark of nitrate of silver on your right forefinger and a bulge on the side of your top hat to show where you have tucked your stethoscope. I would be dull indeed not to notice that you have both taken a wife and once again become an active member of the medical profession."

"My dear Holmes," Watson cried, "you are truly amazing!" *

Amazing or not, you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to perform similar deductions of your own. Did you know you can tell a lot about your parents just by the rules they set for you? Really!

Your parents' rules show what sort of people they are. For example, if they expect you to say "please" and "thank you," that reveals they value manners. If your parents require you to help keep the house clean, that shows they value cleanliness. If they insist that you tell the truth at all times, that means they value honesty.

The same thing is true of God. His commands reveal his character. That's why Moses, who received the law on Mount Sinai, asked God, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you" (Exodus 33:13, NIV, emphasis added). Moses recognized that learning God's ways understanding his commands would acquaint him with the character of God himself.

His character is written in his commands. And it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that! It's elementary!

REFLECT: Clues to God's character can be found in his commands. What clues have you found? Think about one of God's commands and consider how it reflects God's character.

PRAY: "Like Moses, I pray that you will teach me your ways, God, so that I may really know you."

*Based upon "A Scandal in Bohemia." Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (London, Wis.: Octopus Books, Ltd., 1981, 15-16).

Matthew 4:10

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

Exodus 20: 1-17

And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 “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.”

RULES, RULES, RULES!

"Don't play with matches."

"Look both ways before you cross the street."

"Don't touch a hot stove."

"Say please and thank you."

"Don't sit too close to the TV."

"Don't cross your eyes."

"Don't dye your little sister's hair green."

Rules, rules, rules! Sometimes it seems like you're not allowed to do anything, doesn't it? "Do this," your parents say. "Don't do that." "Eat your vegetables." "Brush your teeth." "Fasten your seat belt."

It can get to you sometimes. But think about it: Why do you think your parents have rules like "Don't run with scissors"? Most of their rules are for your protection. If they hadn't told you not to play with matches as a little kid, you might have been your own science fair project. If they hadn't prevented you from dyeing your little sister's hair green well, OK, that would have been totally fun and would have been worth whatever happened. But you get the idea.

Think about this, too. Why do you think God has rules like "Do not lie" and "Do not murder"? Do you think he gave those commands because he was having a bad day? Do you think he issued the Ten Commandments because he liked the way they sounded? Do you think he laid down the law to throw his weight around or to be a party pooper? Of course not. God gave commandments to us because he wanted to protect us and provide for us. He knows the surest, safest path to pleasure and fulfillment, and his commands are intended to help us get there.

Look at what Moses said about God's commands:

And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these laws and to fear him for our own prosperity and well being, as is now the case. . . . And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good. (Deuteronomy 6:24; 10:12-13; emphasis added)

REFLECT: According to Deuteronomy 6:24 and 10:12-13, why did God make rules? Our parents usually try to do the best they can to protect and provide for us based on what they know. God, of course, knows everything even the future and his commands are the result of his knowledge and wisdom. Can you think of ways his rules protect you?

PRAY: "God, I praise you because you're a wise and loving God, and you give your commandments for my own good."

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Scripture: Read 1 John 5:1-5 (New Living Translation - NLT)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ[a] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

BECAUSE OF LOVE.

Though fifteen-year-old Shannon Miller won a silver medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, she returned home disappointed she had not won a single gold medal. Four years later, however, at the age of nineteen, Shannon captured two gold medals in Atlanta for her effort in the team gymnastics competition and for her performance on the balance beam.

A few days after her thrilling victory on the balance beam, she was asked by a television reporter how hard it had been to keep practicing and working in the years between the Olympics.

Shannon shrugged in response to the question and answered that she loved gymnastics. Because she loved it so much, she hadn't minded the toil of training for the Olympics. The work that might have seemed hard and unpleasant to someone else was not so hard for Shannon because of her love for the sport.

It's kind of the same with obeying God's commands. People who don't know God or his Son, Jesus, often look at the commands he has given to his people and think, Thou shalt not this! and Thou shalt not that! They may say, "There are too many 'thou shalt nots'! I don't see how you Christians can stand all the rules and stuff you have to obey. That's too hard for me." Or they may say, "I could never keep all those commands."

But such thoughts and statements show that they don't really understand how the Christian life works. Like Shannon Miller, who trained hard because of her love for gymnastics, Christians obey God's commands because of their love for God. God's commands are not burdensome to his children. Obeying him isn't torture. It's not even difficult for those who rely on the Holy Spirit's power because the Spirit does all the work-we just have to trust him moment by moment.

REFLECT: Compare the ways the following translations phrase 1 John 5:3:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (KJV).

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome (NIV).

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult (NLT).

How does your love for God make you more willing to obey him? How does your love for God make you more able to obey him?

PRAY: "Loving God, help me to show my love for you today by..."

Scripture: Read Psalms 111:1-10 (The Message - MSG)

1-10 Hallelujah!

I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—

Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.

God’s works are so great, worth

A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!

Splendor and beauty mark his craft;

His generosity never gives out.

His miracles are his memorial—

This God of Grace, this God of Love.

He gave food to those who fear him,

He remembered to keep his ancient promise.

He proved to his people that he could do what he said:

Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!

He manufactures truth and justice;

All his products are guaranteed to last—

Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.

All that he makes and does is honest and true:

He paid the ransom for his people,

He ordered his Covenant kept forever.

He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.

The good life begins in the fear of God—

Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.

His Hallelujah lasts forever!

A SURE FOUNDATION.

It looks like a failed science fair experiment. It took 199 years to build, from start to finish. It's already crooked and gets more and more crooked every year. Some day (unless preventive measures are taken) it will lean so far out of line that its eight stories, three hundred steps, and church bells will topple to the ground in a pile of rubble.

What is it? You've already figured it out, haven't you? "It" is the famous leaning Tower of Pisa, a famous bell tower in Pisa, Italy. It was begun in 1173. By the time the first three stories were completed, the tower had begun to pitch to one side. Why? Because the ground beneath it began to sink. Its foundation was unstable.

Imagine that a masterpiece of architecture threatened because of a faulty foundation.

Same thing happens every day. People go to school, devour books, pass exams, earn degrees, graduate with honors. Yet, in spite of all their learning, in spite of all their knowledge, they do all kinds of stupid things, make poor choices, and mess up their lives big time! Why? Because of a faulty foundation. They may have knowledge. They may have learning. They may have education. But they don't have wisdom. Because "reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him" (Psalm 111:10).

"Reverence for the Lord" has traditionally been referred to as "the fear of the Lord." The word fear in that phrase doesn't mean fearing God the way we might fear Freddie Krueger or Frankenstein, the kind of fear that churns your stomach or keeps you awake at night. It means respect for God, for his power and for his love.

If you really want to be wise and make good choices, you need to begin with reverence for the Lord. Reverence for God means developing a profound awareness of him. It means respecting him for who he is and what he can do. It means obeying him. It means not taking his gifts or his grace for granted. It means remembering that he is the judge of good and evil, of right and wrong.

True wisdom is like a magnificent bell tower-a structure of power, beauty, and grace. And, like all sound structures, it has a sure foundation: reverence for God.

REFLECT: How firm is your foundation? Do you respect and obey God, or are you trying to become wise without that foundation?

ACT: Hang one of your favorite posters or pictures slightly crooked to remind yourself over the next few days of the importance of a sure foundation.

PRAY: "God, sometimes I feel like my foundation is pretty shaky. I don't have a lot of wisdom, but I'm glad that you do. Help me to stay close to you so that I don't topple to the ground when..."

Scripture: Read Hebrews 11:24-28 (The Message - MSG)

24-28 By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES.

"Welcome to TV's most popular game show! And now, the host of Truth and Consequences, Tom Foolery!" Wild shouts and applause as the handsome host jogs down the center aisle and leaps onto the stage.

"Thank you! Let's welcome our first contestants, Paul and Susan!"

Two teenagers leap from their seats and jog down the aisle to join Foolery.

"Let's play Truth and Consequences. For our first game, you may choose the prize behind the red door or the one behind the blue door. I'll even tell you what they are."

The sound of a drum roll enters the studio through the loudspeakers.

"Behind the red door are two free tickets to next Saturday's Counting Cannibals concert. You want to go with your friends, but you don't have the money am I right?"

Paul and Susan nod. The audience applauds.

"Behind the blue door is a night with Mom and Dad watching a rerun of Matlock."

"I choose the red door!" Paul and Susan shout their response in unison. Foolery flashes a toothy smile.

"Not so fast. To open the red door, you must agree to 'borrow' sixty dollars from your mother's purse. After all, you didn't think we'd buy the tickets, did you? And, of course, you can always repay the money later. To open the blue door, simply don't 'borrow' the money. What'll it be, the concert with your friends... or Matlock with Mom and Dad?"

Tough choice, huh? Many times, trying to do the right thing is really tough because the wrong thing could be so much fun, while the right choice seems like a drag! Take Moses, for example. He faced a tough choice: turn his back on God and his people to live his life in the lap of luxury, or hang out with a bunch of complainers in the desert. Pretty clear choice, wouldn't you say? But Moses chose the longer lasting rewards of obeying God instead of the immediate gratification of sin.

That's the way it goes. Many wrong choices offer immediate "gain," while right choices often seem to involve short term "pain." To be honest, if we make moral choices simply on the basis of what will bring immediate pain or gain, we will very often make the wrong choice. But if we're willing to choose right, we'll be much better off in the long run. That's the truth.

REFLECT: Note that Hebrews 11:24 says Moses managed to make the right decision by faith. How can someone use faith to make a decision?

Think about the recent choices you've made between right and wrong. Did you base your choice on which way was easiest or on which way was right? How do you know?

PRAY: "God, help me choose right even when it seems easier to choose wrong."

Scripture: Read Ephesians 6:11-18 (The Message - MSG)

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

FIRST KNIGHT.

Picture two knights sitting on sparkling white horses. They face a gleaming castle surrounded by mammoth stone walls, which in turn are circled by a wide moat. Archers line the battlements, awaiting the signal to launch their deadly arrows at the pair below.

The first knight wears a shining suit of armor. A heavy helmet protects his head. His body is encased in a massive iron suit; his arms and legs are enclosed by hinged pieces of metal. His armor is completed by heavy "boots" and rigid "gloves."

The second knight sits astride his charger like the first knight, but the only metal he's wearing are the braces on his teeth. A backward baseball hat and sunglasses protect his head from the glare of the sun. His shirt bears a picture of Ren and Stimpy. A pair of shorts, socks, and Reebok shoes complete his attire.

The first knight looks at the second. He says, "We shall charge yon castle on my signal and bring honor to our families this fair day." He raises the broadsword he holds in his right hand and points it in the direction of the castle.

"OK, dude," the second knight says as he lifts a baseball bat. "Whatever!"

Which knight would you rather be? The first knight is rather confined, of course it gets stuffy and sweaty inside his unwieldy suit, and it's hard to scratch your back or wipe your nose. The second knight is totally free of such restrictive dress. He's got it made, right? Wrong! The first knight may feel restricted by his armor, but he wears it for his own good. The second knight may be more comfortable, more "free," but he's unprotected.

God's commands work like a suit of armor. They're designed to protect you from the "fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan" (Ephesians 6:16). His command not to steal, for example, protects you from the guilt and fear of punishment and the shame, embarrassment, and real punishment that would result if you got caught! His command not to lie protects you from being trapped by a web of your own lies, spun from having to invent new lies to cover up the old ones. It also keeps you from losing the trust of your friends and family. His command to forgive those who have hurt you protects you from becoming a bitter, resentful person.

God's commands are not designed to cramp your style or spoil your fun; they're intended like a suit of armor to protect you from harm.

REFLECT: Do you ever feel cramped by God's commands? Do you ever feel like they limit your freedom? How can you become more aware of the ways in which God's commands protect you from the Devil? Remember that he "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

PRAY: "God, thank you for your love and for the way you protect me by demanding my obedience to your commandments. Please help me with the weakest part of my armor right now, which is..."

Scripture: Read John 8:31-32

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

SHELL TALK.

Herman the crab stormed across the seafloor and under the family rock.

"I want to be free!" he screamed at his father. "I don't see how you can expect me to wear this stupid shell twenty-four hours a day! It's confining! It cramps my style!"

His father, Fred, inhaled deeply and draped a heavy claw on Herman's shoulder.

"Son," he said, "let me tell you a story."

Herman rolled his eyes. "Dad, not another ..."

"It's about Humphrey the human, who insisted on going barefoot to school. He complained that his shoes were too confining. They cramped his style, he said. He longed to be free to run barefoot through fields and streams. Finally, his mother gave in to him. He skipped out of the house barefoot. Do you know what happened?"

Herman opened his mouth, but his father continued before he could answer.

"Humphrey the human stepped on pieces of a broken bottle. His foot required twenty stitches, and some other guy took his girl to the prom while Humphrey sat home watching reruns of Flipper."

"That's a pretty lame story, Dad," Herman said.

"Maybe, Son, but the point is this: Every crab has felt this way at one time or another, thinking life would be better if he could be completely shell-free. But that's like a sailor getting tired of the confinement of a ship and jumping to freedom in the sea. He may think that's freedom, but if he doesn't get back to ship or shore, he'll drown and end up as crab food. What kind of freedom is that?"

Herman pondered his father's words.

"Soon you will shed your shell, Son," Fred said, thinking how hard it would be to say that five times fast. "It's called molting, and all crabs do it as they grow up. But," he said with warning in his eyes, "when that happens, you will be more vulnerable than at any other time in your life. Until your new shell hardens like this one-" he tapped his son's armored back" you'll have to be much more careful and watchful than usual. You'll be less free without this shell, not more free."

"That's weird, Dad," Herman said. "I never thought of it that way. You mean that some things may seem to limit freedom but really make greater freedom possible?"

Fred smiled broadly and patted his son on the back with a mammoth claw. "How'd you get to be so smart, Son?" he asked.

REFLECT: What, according to John 8:31, must happen before you can know the truth? Think of John 8:31-32 like a math problem: Obeying Jesus' teachings + knowing the truth = FREEDOM.

PRAY: "Lord, I really do want to be free. Help me to learn all about your teachings so that I can obey them."

Scripture: Read Deuteronomy 32:1-4

Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;

hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.

2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew,

like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.

Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is he.

RECIPE FOR RIGHT

You're planning a surprise birthday party for your mom. You invite your little sister to help you bake the cake.

"Let's make a chocolate cake!" Sis squeals.

"OK," you agree and pull out a box of chocolate cake mix from the cupboard. "This says we need a half cup of water, a half cup of vegetable oil, and two eggs."

Sis says, "I wanna do that!"

You shrug. "Sure, OK," you say. You pour the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Then you see that Sis is putting water into a doll cup.

"Sis," you say, "we need to use a measuring cup."

"This is a cup," she says, pointing to the miniature teacup holding the water.

"But we need to use this cup," you say. You grab a glass measuring cup.

"But I wanna use my cup!" Sis's face wrinkles up as though she's just swallowed a lemon whole. She's about to cry.

What should you do? If you use Sis's doll cups, your cake will be a disaster, of course. Why? Because the recipe relies on a standard measurement. You can't just use any size cup. You know that when a recipe says to use a cup of flour or a teaspoon of cinnamon, you must measure those quantities against a standard.

It's the same way with knowing whether something is right or wrong. A lot of people try to "measure" whether it's right to do something by how they feel or what they think or what other people might say. But the recipe for right and wrong relies on a measurement just like the recipe for a cake does. Only the standard measurement of right and wrong isn't a cup or a teaspoon; it's God.

In other words, God is the measurement of whether something is right or wrong. "He is a faithful God who does no wrong," Deuteronomy says. Whatever is like God is right. Whatever is not like God is wrong. For example, telling the truth is right and lying is wrong because God is true and trustworthy.

If you want to figure out whether something is right or wrong, all you need to do is follow the recipe: Measure it against our God, "a faithful God who does no wrong."

REFLECT: Think about the statements "Whatever is like God is right" and "Whatever is not like God is wrong." Can you think of any examples (like the example of telling the truth and lying that was given above) that agree with either statement?

ACT: To remind yourself that God's Word is the standard of "measurement" for right and wrong, you could carry a small measuring spoon around with you in your pocket, purse, or backpack today. Or you could keep a measuring tape in your locker.

PRAY: "Thank you, God, for being perfect and fair and faithful. Show me how to be more like you, especially when I..."