In an effort to prepare trained leaders to spread the Gospel in Haiti, Rich has been meeting with a group of about 16 young men. We have looked at the 10 commandments in a very practical way in an effort to apply God's Word to our lives. Yesterday we looked at the last one: Do not covet.
In our discussion we talked about how coveting is usually the thought pattern we fall into before we steal. Often when we covet, we break some of the other 10 commandments in an effort to get what we want. For example, David broke many commandments in his effort to get Bathsheba as his wife. Other examples we looked at where Achan in Joshua 7 and Ahab's murder of Naboth to get his vineyard (1 Kings 21).
But the best part of the study was when I asked how the participants had applied what they had learned to their lives. One who is married said he had asked forgiveness from his wife for his sins against her and had started to communicate better with her and resolve some long-standing conflicts.
Another said that after we had done a session on personal finances, he realized he had been wasting money on little things, and that this was keeping him from reaching his true financial objectives. His brother said that he was using the envelope system he had learned from our study to manage his finances. His other brother said he had discovered he had a problem with envy at school when his classmates would look better than him. He has since committed this to the Lord and asked forgiveness.
I have learned that most of the times I break the 10 commandments is because I'm not really trusting God and believing that he has my best interest in mind. But even in the midst of extreme suffering, he is still present and working out his ultimate will. That's why I have memorized this promise below:
1 Peter 5:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
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