Ken Lovelace Ministries


WITH HIS VERY OWN FINGER by Lygia Lovelace He wrote them with His finger. Did you know that? God wrote the 10 commandments -- our rules for living -- with His own finger. He reached out and touched the stone that would be His parchment, and He etched this new way of life, personally, with a part of Himself. I am the Lord your God... 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself an idol... 3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God... He must have taken great care to form each character, to put together the Words that would last, generation to generation to generation. No one saw the stone particles that fell as He inscribed rule by rule into those tablets. But the result was there -- indentations of love, laws of excellence, given by the Master Himself to His very own children... ...to His very own you. 4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother... 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. Oh, how He longs to use His own finger to shape your life -- to place His indentations of love upon you -- to inscribe laws of excellence within your heart. He reaches out, to touch you with His best, His life plan. He wants to make a difference in you, as He did in those two stone tablets long ago, writing upon you that same message of Love. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not give false testimony... 10. You shall not covet... Jesus then came to earth and adjusted the dial...fine tuning these laws to embrace a relationship -- a relationship with the Messiah of all. He fulfilled those commands that His Father so lovingly gave...He embodied them. Lately, as I have been studying Exodus, I have become intrigued by these 10 commandments. I have marveled at the Israelites' reaction to them, and Jesus' response to them. As God leads, I would like to write about a commandment each week. The other day, Jonah was on my exercise bike. This is a "no-no" rule in our house. There are too many tempting buttons and dials. Emerson, knowing this "no-no" by personal experience, self-righteously glared at Jonah, pointed her finger and him, and said, "Jonah! Get off Mom's motorcycle!" These rules from the Father are not just a list of legalistic "no-no's"! And they are no guarantee of salvation. They are evidence of a relationship. They are like seeds. When left to grow, they are but small evidences of life, placed in the soil to grow (or perhaps to not grow). These commandments of God must receive careful tending, careful watering, careful vigilance. It is a lifelong journey of obedience. And it is the fulfillment of a beautiful relationship. The Ten Commandments...intriguing, personal, for you, written in His Hand, with His very own finger. Earlier today, Elijah looked full into my face and said, "Mommy, we need to get us some more Africans. I just love Africans!" Do you know that's how God feels about you? Oh, how He wants more of you. He wants your heart, your obedience, your life. He just loves you. Reach out, take His hand. Allow Him to take His finger, and write His plan upon your heart. You have now become the people of the Lord your God. Obey the Lord your God and follow His commands and decrees that I give you today. Deuteronomy 27:9-10

WITH HIS VERY OWN FINGER
by Lygia Lovelace

He wrote them with His finger.

Did you know that? God wrote the 10 commandments -- our rules for living -- with His own finger. He reached out and touched the stone that would be His parchment, and He etched this new way of life, personally, with a part of Himself.

I am the Lord your God...

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol...
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God...

He must have taken great care to form each character, to put together the Words that would last, generation to generation to generation. No one saw the stone particles that fell as He inscribed rule by rule into those tablets. But the result was there -- indentations of love, laws of excellence, given by the Master Himself to His very own children...

...to His very own you.

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother...
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.

Oh, how He longs to use His own finger to shape your life -- to place His indentations of love upon you -- to inscribe laws of excellence within your heart. He reaches out, to touch you with His best, His life plan. He wants to make a difference in you, as He did in those two stone tablets long ago, writing upon you that same message of Love.

8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not give false testimony...
10. You shall not covet...

Jesus then came to earth and adjusted the dial...fine tuning these laws to embrace a relationship -- a relationship with the Messiah of all. He fulfilled those commands that His Father so lovingly gave...He embodied them.

Lately, as I have been studying Exodus, I have become intrigued by these 10 commandments. I have marveled at the Israelites' reaction to them, and Jesus' response to them. As God leads, I would like to write about a commandment each week.

The other day, Jonah was on my exercise bike. This is a "no-no" rule in our house. There are too many tempting buttons and dials.

Emerson, knowing this "no-no" by personal experience, self-righteously glared at Jonah, pointed her finger and him, and said, "Jonah! Get off Mom's motorcycle!"

These rules from the Father are not just a list of legalistic "no-no's"! And they are no guarantee of salvation.

They are evidence of a relationship.

They are like seeds. When left to grow, they are but small evidences of life, placed in the soil to grow (or perhaps to not grow). These commandments of God must receive careful tending, careful watering, careful vigilance. It is a lifelong journey of obedience.

And it is the fulfillment of a beautiful relationship.

The Ten Commandments...intriguing, personal, for you, written in His Hand, with His very own finger.

Earlier today, Elijah looked full into my face and said, "Mommy, we need to get us some more Africans. I just love Africans!"

Do you know that's how God feels about you? Oh, how He wants more of you. He wants your heart, your obedience, your life. He just loves you.

Reach out, take His hand. Allow Him to take His finger, and write His plan upon your heart.

You have now become the people of the Lord your God.
Obey the Lord your God and follow His commands and decrees that I give you today.
Deuteronomy 27:9-10