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The First Commandment

In our previous devotion, we heard how God begins—not with rules, but with relationship.

Today, we hear the first command that flows from that relationship:

“You shall have no other gods.”

At first, that might sound simple. Most people don’t bow down to statues or build altars in their homes. It’s easy to think, “I’m doing fine with this one.”

But the we need to press deeper.

What does it mean to have a god?

It means to fear, love, and trust in something above all else. That’s where this commandment reaches into everyday life.

• What do you worry about most?
• What do you rely on when things feel uncertain?
• What do you think will finally make you secure or satisfied?

That’s your god.

Sometimes it’s obvious: Money. Health. Success. Control. Sometimes it’s more subtle: Being liked. Being right. Having a plan that works out.

None of those things are bad in themselves. But when they become the thing we trust most, they quietly take God’s place. And they can’t carry that weight.

Jesus says,

“You cannot serve two masters.”

One will always win. And the things we turn into gods tend to demand more than they give. They promise security but leave us anxious. They promise control but leave us exhausted.

This commandment exposes something uncomfortable: left on our own, we don’t just break God’s Law—we replace Him.

The Law of God doesn’t just guide us, it shows us our sin…and this one hits us right between the eyes.

None of us come away clean even from the First Commandment 

Thankfully, God doesn’t stop there.

The same God who says, “You shall have no other gods,” is the God who already claimed you as His own. Remember, that God started the Ten Commandments by telling Israel how He saved them and made them His people. He is calling you back to the only One who actually saves. He is calling you away from the false gods that do not and cannot save.

In Jesus, you see what kind of God He is.

Not distant. Not competing for your attention like everything else. He gives Himself for you.

He becomes your security. Your forgiveness. Your future. And God never fails to deliver.

So the First Commandment is not just a warning.

It’s an invitation.

Let God be your God.

Not because you’ve perfectly trusted Him—but because in Christ, He has already chosen you.

Let’s pray…

Lord God,

Please forgive me for the ways I have trusted other things more than You. You alone are worthy of my fear, love, and trust. Turn my heart back to You, and teach me to rely on You in all things. Through Jesus Christ, my Savior.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

How do you respond when you realize you messed up?

Genesis 3 contains one of the saddest scenes in Scripture.

Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree. The world has changed. Sin has entered and corrupted. Shame follows quickly behind. And then they hear it—the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden.

What do they do?

And they hide.

That’s the instinct of the sinner. Not to run toward God, but away from Him. Not to fess up, but to cover up. They sew fig leaves. They stay in the shadows behind trees. They try, somehow, to avoid the One who made them.

As a parent, I’ve seen this many times. I caught one of my children disobeying in some way and they ran or lied or did something to cover it up. But let’s be fair, I’ve done exactly that myself…as an adult. I’m no better.

As a parent, though, I don’t ignore the problem or let my children stay hidden. I don’t do this out of anger (most of the time), but out of love. I want to teach them and, more than that, I want to forgive them and free them from their guilt.

That’s exactly what God does. Even though they hide…God comes anyway.

He walks in the garden. He draws near. And then He speaks:

“Where are you?”

It’s not that God doesn’t know. He knows exactly where they are. But He asks the question anyway. Because this is what God does. He seeks.

Even after sin enters the world, even after rebellion and failure, God does not withdraw and leave humanity to figure it out alone and die in their misery. He comes into the very place where sin has happened. He calls out to the ones who are hiding.

“Where are you?”

That question still echoes.

Not as an accusation meant to crush, but as a call to come out of hiding. A call to step out from behind the excuses, the fear, the shame. A call to be honest before God.

Because hiding doesn’t heal anything.

We still do it, of course. We avoid prayer when we feel guilty. We distract ourselves rather than face what’s going on inside. We try to manage our image instead of bringing our sin into the light.

But God still comes.

• He still speaks.
• He still calls.
• He still seeks.

And ultimately, He doesn’t just walk in a garden. He enters our broken world in the flesh. He comes all the way into our sin and shame to bring us out of it.

• He forgives.

So when you hear that question—“Where are you?”—don’t run from it.

It means God is near.

I mentioned my children before. One of the practices we put in place in our family is that not only do we fully explain what they did and why it was wrong, but they apologize, we forgive them, we pray and ask God for forgiveness, then we quote 1 John 1:9 so they know they are forgiven by us and by God. That frees and heals.

God seeks you and calls you out of the darkness of you sin so you can confess and be forgiven, healed, and freed.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

I am often quick to hide—behind excuses, distractions, and fear. Yet You come looking for me. You call me out of hiding and into Your presence. Please forgive me for my sins. Give me honesty to stand before You, and trust to know that You seek me in mercy. In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

What does it mean to have authority?

When Jesus begins His public ministry, He doesn’t start with a long explanation. He makes an announcement:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

That sentence carries a sense of urgency. Something has changed. What God had promised is no longer distant or future. It has arrived.

When Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God, He is not talking about a place you can locate on a map. He is talking about God actively ruling—God stepping in to act, to restore, to reclaim what is broken. And in this moment, that kingdom is present because Jesus Himself has come.

So the call to repent and believe is not simply moral advice. It is a response to reality. If God is drawing near, then turning away from sin and trusting Him is the only thing that makes sense.

We see that same authority when Jesus calls His first disciples.

Simon and Andrew are at work when Jesus tells them to follow Him. Mark doesn’t slow down to explain their thought process. He simply tells us that they leave their nets and go. The same happens with James and John.

That may feel abrupt to us, but it highlights something important. Jesus does not present Himself as one option among many. He calls, and His call carries weight. Following Him is not an add-on to life as it already is. It reshapes everything.

That authority becomes even clearer in the synagogue.

As Jesus teaches, people notice immediately that something is different. He is not relying on the authority of other teachers. He speaks as if He Himself stands behind what He says.

Then a man with an unclean spirit interrupts, and suddenly the question of authority is no longer theoretical. The spirit recognizes Jesus before the crowd fully does. With a simple command, Jesus silences it and drives it out.

There is no struggle. No uncertainty. What He says happens.

The people are left asking,

“What is this? A new teaching with authority!”

That question sits at the center of this passage, and really at the center of the whole Gospel: Who is Jesus?

He is not only someone who teaches about God. He speaks and acts with God’s authority, because He is God. His words do not just inform—they accomplish something. They confront what is broken and begin to set it right.

That is still true today.

When Jesus speaks, He is not offering suggestions for improvement. He is announcing what God is doing and calling us into it. His Word still carries authority—to expose, to forgive, and to restore.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

You have brought Your kingdom near and called me to follow You. Help me to trust Your Word and to recognize Your authority in my life. Lead me to turn from what is broken and to believe the good news You have come to bring. May Your authority not only guide how I live, but assure me of my salvation because You have the authority to declare me right before God.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

It doesn’t take much for the past to come back.

Sometimes it’s a mistake you made, a moment you wish you could take back. Other times it’s a memory that surfaces or a pattern you thought you had moved beyond that shows up again. And before long, your thoughts begin to turn inward.

• You start measuring yourself.
• You start questioning where you stand.
• You start wondering if God is as patient as you hope He is.

That quiet shift is familiar for many Christians. Even when we know the Gospel, it’s easy to slip back into thinking that our standing with God rises and falls with how we’re doing.

That’s why Paul’s words in Romans 8 are not just comforting—they are decisive.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

He does not say that condemnation is less likely. He does not say condemnation depends on how your day went. He says there is none. And he anchors it in the present: now.

This is not because sin no longer matters, but because Christ has already dealt with it. What the Law could not accomplish in us—because we are weak—God has accomplished by sending His Son.

In other words, no one will justify themselves before God by following God’s commands, not because God’s Law is not good or is ineffective, but because we are too weak to resist our sinful nature. So, we don’t follow God’s Law perfectly. Thankfully, Jesus entered into our world, carried our sin, and bore the full weight of it’s consequences.

The verdict has already been given, and it is not waiting to be finalized later. It stands.

If you are in Christ, then your relationship with God is not hanging in the balance nor do you have to work your way back into His favor after every failure.

My father used to lead Vacation Bible School for kids. I remember one time he asked a group of kids, “How many of you have been baptized and believe in Jesus?” Everyone’s hand went up. Then, he asked, “How many of your are 100% sure you are going to heaven?” A few hands went up, but others didn’t. He then told them, “Every one of you should raise your hand because your salvation isn’t based in how good you are. Rather, in your baptism God claimed you as His own and saved you. So, you can know for sure that you are going to heaven.”

The same is true for you. You are in His Son.

And that’s all that matters.

When the accusing thoughts come, they often sound convincing because they are not entirely wrong about our sin. But they are wrong about the conclusion. They assume that your failures still have the authority to define your standing before God.

They don’t. Christ does. And Christ has already spoken for you.

This doesn’t mean we can continue in a life of sin. How can we if we are in Christ? It means God’s grace is greater than your sin.

So today, when your conscience reminds you of what you’ve done, let it also be redirected to what Jesus has done. When you are tempted to evaluate yourself based on your performance, remember that your standing rests on something far more stable.

You belong to Christ. And in Him, there is no condemnation.

Let’s Pray…

Heavenly Father,

I confess that I often measure myself by my failures and lose sight of what You have done for me. When my conscience accuses me, remind me of Jesus’ finished work.

Keep me from sin and lead me repentance when I fall. Help me to trust that my standing with You is secure, not because of what I have done, but because of what Christ have done for me.

Teach me to live today in the freedom You have given, resting in Your grace.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

If someone asked you what it means to be wise, what would you say?

Maybe you would picture someone highly educated or someone financially successful or someone who gives great advice.

The book of Proverbs starts somewhere different.

• It doesn’t begin with intelligence.
• It doesn’t begin with experience.
• It doesn’t even begin with self-improvement.

It begins with the fear of the Lord.

That word “fear” can sound harsh to modern ears. We tend to think of fear as panic or dread. But in Proverbs, fear means something deeper. It means reverence. Awe. Recognizing that God is God and we are not. It is the humble awareness that He is the Creator and we are the created.

In very practical terms, the fear of the Lord means this:
I don’t start with my opinion. I start with Him.

Before I decide what is right or wrong, I look to what God says on the matter. Before I claim what is true or false, I look to the one who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” If I disagree with something in God’s Word, I don’t reject what God has said, I change how I think.

That changes how we approach every aspect of our lives.

• It changes how we handle money.
• It changes how we speak to our spouse.
• It changes how we respond when we’re frustrated at work.
• It changes what we do when no one is watching.

Wisdom doesn’t begin when I accumulate information. It begins when I bow. And that bowing isn’t crushing. It’s grounding.

Because the Lord we fear is also the Lord who loves. The One who calls us into wisdom is not distant. He is patient. He instructs, corrects and forgives. He teaches His children how to walk in His ways and even gives them the strength and the will to do it.

In our Proverbs devotions, we’ll look at words from Proverbs that touch everyday life — speech, anger, friendship, work, money, anxiety, integrity. Some days will encourage. Some may confront. But all of them invite us into a wiser way of living.

Today is simple.

Start by believing in God, specifically God as He reveals Himself in the Bible.

Along with that, consider what in your life is grounded in your own opinions and ideas and ask yourself, “How would things change if I grounded those things in what God says?”

Wisdom begins there.

Let’s begin there too.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You are the beginning of wisdom. I know I can never truly be wise without first believing in the one who created all things, defines wisdom, and saved me. Help me to believe in You and change my thoughts and actions to align with Your wisdom.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

There are moments when life feels like a blank page…or maybe more like a mess than a blank page.

Things feel unformed, uncertain, even chaotic. You’re not sure what’s coming next, or how anything good could come out of what you’re facing.

That’s where the Bible begins.

“In the beginning…” not with single celled animals, not with clarity, not with everything already in place—but with God.

Before anything else existed, God was already there. And when He begins His work, He doesn’t struggle or strain. He speaks.

“Let there be light.”

And there is.

That’s how God works. He brings something out of nothing. He speaks into darkness, and light comes. He doesn’t need ideal conditions or even something already there to work with. His Word creates what it says.

And that matters for you.

Because there are places in your life that feel like darkness, places that feel empty or uncertain or unfinished. You might wish you had more clarity, more direction, more control.

But the same God who spoke light into the darkness at the beginning is still speaking. He speaks through His Word. And His Word still does what it says.

• It brings light where there is darkness.
• It brings life where things feel dead.
• It brings order where there is chaos.
• It brings hope where there seems to be none.

You may not see the whole picture yet. In Genesis 1, light comes before everything is fully formed. God’s work unfolds over time. But it begins with His Word breaking into the darkness.

And that’s still how He works.

It begins with God’s Word working on you to create faith, to bring light to your darkness. That Word continues to work on you day and day out. Every time you hear it or read it, God works through His Word.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

So whatever feels unfinished or unclear today, start here: God is present, and He is speaking through His Word. And when He speaks, things change.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You spoke light into the darkness at the beginning. Speak Your Word into my life today. Where things feel uncertain or empty, bring Your light, Your life, and Your hope. Help me trust that You are still at work, even when I cannot yet see the full picture.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

When you think about the Ten Commandments, what do you think about?

Most people think, “A list of rules.” Things you should do. Things you shouldn’t do. They think of it as a moral checklist.

But that’s not where God starts. Before He gives a single command, He says who He is.

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

In other words: I am the God who saves you.

That should change how you think about the Ten Commandments. God doesn’t begin with demands. He begins with deliverance. He doesn’t say, “Obey me so I will be your God.” He says, “I am your God. I have already acted for you. I’m shown you My love and My goodness. Now listen to my voice.”

That’s how the the Bible frames our understanding the commandments—not as a ladder to climb, but as a life that flows from a relationship already given.

And that raises a deeper question.

Who is God to you?

It’s easy to say, “God exists.” It’s even easy to say, “God matters.” But the First Commandment (which we’ll begin tomorrow) presses further:

• What or who do you trust?
• Who or what do you turn to when things fall apart?
• What do you rely on for security, meaning, and hope?

That’s your god.

For Israel, it was tempting to look back to Egypt, or ahead to other nations and their idols. For us, it might be money, success, control, reputation, or even our own ability to hold life together.

But none of those save. Only the Lord does.

And He has. Not just in Egypt—but in Jesus.

Before He calls you to live a certain way, He has already acted for you. He has come into your world that is corrupted by sin, suffered in your place, and brought you out of slavery to sin through His death and resurrection.

That means your life with God doesn’t begin with what you do. It begins with what He has done. When Jesus says to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, that love comes as a response for the love He has already shown you.

So today, don’t start with a checklist.

Start with this:
The Lord is your God. And He has already come for you, already freed you from slavery and saved you.

Let’s pray…

Lord God,

You are my God—not because I have earned it, but because You have chosen me and acted for me. Help me to trust You above all things. As I begin this journey through Your commandments, teach me to see not just what You require, but who You are for me—my Savior.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

If you were introducing someone important, how would you begin?

You might talk about where they came from. Their background. Their accomplishments. You’d build a case for why they matter.

Mark the disciple of Jesus turned Evangelist does something very different.

He starts like this:

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)

No warm-up. No backstory. Just a bold announcement. This is good news. And it’s about Jesus. And He is the Son of God.

Before we see what Jesus does, we’re told who He is.

Then the scene shifts to the wilderness. A man named John appears, calling people to repentance. Prepare the way. Get ready. Something is coming. Or rather, Someone.

People come. They confess. They are baptized. There’s a sense that God is about to act.

And then Jesus steps into the water. Not because He needs forgiveness. He doesn’t. But because He steps into our place—right from the beginning.

As He comes up from the water, everything changes.

• Heaven is torn open.
• The Spirit descends.
• The Father speaks:

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Before Jesus preaches or heals and before He suffers…The Father declares His love.

And then, immediately, the wilderness again. This is not a celebration—but a confrontation. Jesus is driven into the wilderness and tempted by Satan. He stands where humanity has failed. Where Israel failed. Where we fail.

And He does not fall. He remains faithful.

So in just these opening verses, we already see something essential. Jesus is not just a teacher. He is:

• The Son of God, sent from the Father
• The One who steps into our place
• The One who stands firm where we do not

Before we are told what to do…We are shown who He is.

That matters.

Because Christianity does not begin with your effort to reach God. It begins with God coming to you.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

At the very beginning, You show us who You are—the Son of God who steps into our place. Help me to see You clearly as I walk through this Gospel. Strengthen my faith to trust You, not just understand You.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

How many choices have you already made today?

Some were small. What to wear. What to eat. What to say. Some choices feel small in the moment but shape more than we realize.

Psalm 1 opens the entire book of Psalms with a contrast. Not ten options or a spectrum.

Two ways.

There is the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.

The blessed man in Psalm 1 is described first by what he does not do. He does not walk in certain counsel. He does not stand in certain paths. He does not sit in certain company. All three of these are in opposition to God.

• Are you listening to those who hold a worldly view rather than those who follow God’s Word? Who you listen to influences your thoughts.
• Have you positioned yourself with the sinners? Is the foundational stance of your life one that loves sin over God’s commands?
• Do you scoff at God’s Word and mock Him?

Psalm 1 doesn’t just warn. It also shows us something better.

The blessed man delights in the law of the Lord. He meditates on it day and night.

That word “meditate” doesn’t mean emptying your mind. It means filling it. Turning God’s Word over and over. Rehearsing it. Letting it shape how you think, decide, and respond.

And what happens?

He becomes like a tree planted by streams of water.

Not a wild tree hoping rain will come. A planted tree. Intentionally placed near a steady source of life. When heat comes, when drought comes, the roots still hold.

That’s the picture of faith shaped by the Word.

But if we’re honest, we haven’t always walked the right way. We’ve listened to the wrong voices. We’ve sat too comfortably in places we shouldn’t.

Psalm 1 ultimately both describes Jesus and drives us to Him.

There is only one man who perfectly delighted in the Father’s Word. Only one who never walked in sin. Only one whose life bore perfect fruit.

Jesus.

And because of Him, we are forgiven for the times we have chosen the wrong path. Because of Him, we are planted again by living water. Because of Him, we are not counted among the wicked, but among the righteous. Romans tells us Jesus literally puts His righteousness on us.

So today, the question is simple:

Which voices are shaping you?

Where are your roots?

God’s Word is not a burden. It is water. It is life. It is stability in a shifting world.

Blessed is the one whose life is planted there.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

There are many voices competing for my attention. Root me in Your Word. Forgive me for the times I have followed the wrong path. Plant me firmly by the living water of Christ, that my life would bear fruit in Him.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.