“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 JOHN 2:15
Today we will look at the Tenth Commandment: “You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17). Covetousness is perhaps the most subtle of sins. It seems minor compared to adultery, theft, or rape. However, before a man steals, he covets. Before he rapes or commits adultery, he covets. Covetousness is the spark that sets off the fuse of sin. It is a sin that lies close to the surface of every human being. Few children are content with ten pieces of candy when the child next to him gets eleven. Covetousness is the bedfellow of jealousy, greed, and lust. It was this quiet sin that found a place in the heart of King David, rich and blessed though he was. His covetous eye roamed toward another man’s wife, and opened the door to a multitude of sins.
Who of us can stand guiltless and say that we have never jealously desired something that belongs to someone else? Whether we long for another’s house, car, income, or lifestyle, our covetousness reveals a lack of gratitude for what God has already given us. That’s why Scripture admonishes us to “be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have” (Hebrews 13:5). Learn to pray along with the psalmist, “Incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. . .” (Psalm 119:36,37).
This devotion was excerpted from The School Of Biblical Evangelism
, chapter 14, beginning on page 96.
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