"Should we open another present from God?"
"Yeah, and I'll bet it's going to be another piece of broken stone."
Untie, untie, rip, rip, throw away, throw away, open. "Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
This present is people who will speak up for you. Even when you do something wrong, these people will “put the best construction on everything.” Yes, there will be people who run you down, ouch in the heart, but God gives you people who will speak up for you. These people are the truest friends you can have, like Jonathan speaking up for David before King Saul.
"Want to open another one?"
"Yup, and I bet I know what will be inside. Another stone and this one will say, “Thou shalt not steal.” But I wonder what this inside-out way of looking at the commandments will say about, "Thou shalt not steal"?
Untie, untie, rip, rip, throw away, throw away, open. Sure enough. "Thou shalt not steal."
This present is things and stuff. God gives us things that we need for life, like food and housing and some money. When we are running short on necessities, God invites us to ask Him, "Give us this day our daily bread." Sometimes God gives us stuff, stuff that we don’t really need but it’s nice to have. God has given Americans lots of stuff, so much that we imagine we can't live without it. Ever been to Darfur, to the barrios of Caracas, slept on a park bench? Thank God for this overflowing box of things and stuff! Let’s take care of it, let’s not hurt other peoples’ things and stuff, and let's share with those in need.
Fragments of stone and old letters? "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody." (2 Corinthians 3:2)
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