13.4 – Devotion

Did you know that God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel and to us as a gift? That seems crazy! Gifts are usually fun and exciting. How could rules be a gift, especially when they’re so hard to follow?

Rules keep us safe. Just like rules about wearing helmets protect you, the Ten Commandments also protect us. The Fifth Commandment (“You shall not murder”) keeps you from getting hurt, and the Seventh Commandment (“You shall not steal”) keeps people from taking your stuff.

Rules also tell us how to live so we can honor God. Imagine if we didn’t know what sins were like. We might sin all the time without realizing it! The Ten Commandments make it very clear what we should and shouldn’t do. When we follow the Ten Commandments, we show God our love and trust.

Finally, the Ten Commandments show us that we need a Savior. When you read through the Ten Commandments, you realize that you’ve broken some of them. The Bible tells us when we break one, we break them all! There’s no way that we could follow all of God’s rules and earn eternal life on our own. God sent Jesus to obey the Ten Commandments perfectly and to die on the cross to forgive our sins. Jesus took the punishment for every commandment that every person has ever broken. Because of His sacrifice, we get to be with God forever! The Ten Commandments show us how sinful we are, so we know how much Jesus gave for us and how much God loves us. What an amazing gift!

  1. Do you have rules at home or at school? How do those rules keep you safe?
  2. Which of the Ten Commandments are hard for you to follow? Thank Jesus that He obeyed all the commandments for you and paid for your sins!
  3. Since we know God always forgives our sins, is it still important for us to follow the Ten Commandments? Why or why not?

Let’s pray:

Dear God, thank You for giving us the gift of the Ten Commandments. Thank You for keeping us safe and for forgiving us when we break Your rules. Help us to follow Your commandments so that we can honor You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.