Mindy Lee Hopman

A Wise Leader

“He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.” ~Deuteronomy 4:13, NIV 

Every family has a leader to show the way, just as every flock has a shepherd. God created the family with the father as the leader, but in many families, the father is not present, so the mother or an older sibling takes the responsibility of leading the flock.

Good leaders establish expectations and boundaries to avoid chaos, keep the peace, and provide safety and protection for all the family members. When boundaries are established in love, they are met with honor, and they are not burdensome. 

Expectations and boundaries allow for bonds of trust, respect, and accountability to form within the family.

On the top of Mt. Sinai, God inscribed expectations and boundaries for those within His family, and through love, He gave them directly to the leader he placed within His people.

Today’s Scripture:

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make idols.

3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and your gates.” ~Deuteronomy 6:6-9, NIV

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” ~John 15:12

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome … ~1 John 5:3, NIV

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. ~Colossians 3:23

Today’s Snapshot: A Wise Leader

God wrote His “family rules” on the top of Mt. Sinai with Moses while He was shaping the Israelites as a nation. God knew the nation needed guidance and boundaries, written by His hand through love, to thrive. God wrote the commands with His finger on tablets of stone for His people (Exodus 31:18).

God’s commands were set for our safety and protection.

These commands came as a result of His presence, for His purpose, to establish His peace. The Ten Commandments represent God’s moral law. However, with Adam’s sin nature within each of us, as hard as we try, we cannot keep them all.

We are imperfect people who serve a perfect God.

That’s why God sent His Son to reconcile us back to Him as a result of His presence, for His purpose, to establish His peace. By His blood, we move into the covenant of grace. However, we still adhere to God’s moral law because when true love exists in the heart, it also exists in the will. This Christmas season, we celebrate the baby who came to offer our hearts grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God gave Him to the world through love, and in love, He wraps His arms around us completely.

This is where JOY is found and how we LOVE others—the way Christ loved us. 

Family Discussion:

• What other expectations does your family have that are not listed above?
• Which one family expectation is the hardest for you to keep? Why?
• Which expectation do you feel is the most important? Why?

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

We praise You for boundaries, expectations, and good leaders whom You have placed within our family to guide us. Each of these commands—written with Your mighty finger from Your heart to the tablets of stone—displays Your love to Your people. Help us to keep You first in every aspect of our lives as we love You with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. When our hearts fully understand Your sacrificial love, true love is born and exists in our will. We live up to Your expectations not because we have to, but because we love You. Thank You for loving us completely by sending Your Son on that silent night so many years ago. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, Amen

This devotional is adapted from Faith Roots: An Advent Family Devotional available for purchase on Amazon.