Continuously Re-orienting – The Second Commandment

Continuously Re-orienting

Exodus 20:4, 5

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…”

In a very real sense, everything we do in life should be subsumable under the headings, “bow” and “serve.” These two activities are separate, it’s true, but they do meld together throughout the course of our day.

As we keep God in mind, and our hearts submissive to Him (bowing), we will do our work or pursue our avocations and relationships in ways that are pleasing to Him and agreeable to His purpose (serving). The more we think about our lives in this way, the easier it will be to spot anything that may be trying to divert our thoughts or affections or lifestyle from the Lord and His will.

This takes work, it’s true–every day, throughout the day, at the end of the day. This is one reason why we find, in both Testaments, that the saints of God scheduled set times of prayer throughout the day, and set times of community worship throughout the week and year. These regular intervals enabled them to be continuously re-orienting their lives to bowing and serving the Lord only.

You might want to consider how, in your own daily life, to accomplish this essential activity of continuously re-orienting yourself to the Lord.

Do you have enough “re-orienting” activity in your life? Do you have any people in your life with whom you might talk on a regular basis about bowing to and serving the Lord, and how you should do that?

Lord, I look to other people to help me…

Daily meditation in the Law of God helps us along the path of holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Rom. 7:12). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compilation of the Mosaic Law for contemporary believers, by going to www.MyParuchia.com, point your browser to “Publications,” then click on the drop-down option, “Waxed Tablet Publications.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.