LOVE MY PEOPLE
Today’s Text: Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)Today’s Thoughts: No two people are the same. When someone dies it is a unique life that has gone to the grave. The character of that person is silenced from this world. Life is precious. God gave His life so that we wouldn’t have to die an eternal death. If people were not valuable in His eyes, He wouldn’t have paid our price. God is saddened whenever one of His people dies. He asked us to value life and not kill. He wants us to love His people.
Today’s Testimony: Today we’re not going to discuss the question of whether or not it is ever right to kill; neither are we going to discuss the killing of anything other than people. We’re simply going to dig a little deeper into this commandment and find out more of what the Lord requires of us and then discuss the benefits of keeping it.
Firstly let’s take a look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-26 referring to the sixth commandment. Christ took it a few steps further. He said that we must not only refrain from killing, He said that we must not get angry with others without a cause. We must not call others nasty names either. God doesn’t want us to call others stupid or worthless. Have you ever been called by a nasty name? Did it hurt? Did it “kill” you inside a little? What about when someone has been angry with you for no reason? Did that hurt you too? When last have you maybe killed someone’s reputation by gossiping about them? God loves those He created – He wants us to handle them with care – both their physical bodies and their internal feelings.
Christ also said that He doesn’t want us to have any hatred between us. If there is anything that is not right between two people, Christ wants them to make it right as soon as possible. He wants us to come to Him with a clean conscience knowing that we have nothing against anyone else and that we have not wronged anyone else.
The Lord knows how much guilt comes with hating and hurting others. He knows how much pain it brings. He wants us to be free of guilt and hurt. He wants us to experience the joy of being on good terms with everyone. Loving God’s people and not hating and hurting them has the benefit of a more peaceful, more joyful and more guiltless life. He knows how precious that kind of life is, so He encourages us to have it by keeping this commandment. I don’t want to “kill” anyone – I want to love God’s people and reap the benefits.
Another thing we need to discuss is the slow suicide that many of us commit on a daily basis. How well do you take care of your body? Do you fill it with all sorts of things that will cause it temporary or permanent damage? The food we eat, what we drink, smoking, medication, drugs, over-working ourselves, lack of exercise, what we fill our minds with – all these things have an effect on our bodies and minds. If we are feeding them negatively we will reap a poorer quality of life and shorten our lives. God want us to take care of ourselves so that we can live longer, healthier and happier lives.
This life will not last forever. Are you planning to live eternally? Or are you going to allow yourself to die and have your unique character forever blotted out from existence? The choice is yours – don’t kill yourself. How many people are there that are heading toward selfdestruction because they have never truly met the Lord? Are you going to leave them to die? Or are you going to tell as many people as you can about the great God that we serve. The world is dying in need of a Saviour – and no one seems to care. Do you?
Today’s Task: Life is precious – handle with care. Look after your life and the lives of others. Look after your own internal, external, emotional and Spiritual needs as well as those of others. Life here is short for all of us - let us make the most of it for everyone. God loves you – love His people.
Today’s Thanks: Lord I Thank You that You didn’t leave us to die – You died in our place. I praise You that even now You are with us through this life and haven’t just left us to live this life and die our earthly death alone. You care about us so much – help us to remember. Please help us to never “kill” ourselves or others. You value life and You love all Your people – help us to do the same. I thank You that You want us to live happy, healthy and long lives and have therefore given us simple guidelines – help us to follow them. Lord please help us to save others from an eternal death by telling them about You – the real You. We love You Lord. Amen.
