The Tenth Day of Christmas

Dear Friend,

The spirit, the love and the meaning of Christmas is brought to life in the amazing lyrics and meaning of this song. Today’s explanation of the Tenth Day of Christmas is also a little longer, however, there is so much here to share. I just want to give you all the good stuff. Please take that extra few minutes to read them all. Continue to enjoy. If you have missed any of the days, check out my blog at www.hawkinssharpe.com/kandeeg.com/

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, Dec. 25th, the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, Jan. 6th, (epiphany being the Greek word for manifestation).

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” has its origins in spiritual symbolism-and with a serious purpose.

Each element is a code word for a religious truth.

All the gifts sent on the subsequent days of Christmas were gifts disguised in the words of the song that come to all who believe in the love and truth of God.

The song’s gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of faith and belief.  The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God. The “me” who receives the presents refers to everyone who believes.

“On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me; Ten Lords a-Leaping.” The Ten Lords a-Leaping represent the ten commandments–the ten magnificent laws of life.

1. The First Commandment is about Loyalty. You shall have no other gods before Me. The Creator of the universe declares He is our God and our deliverer and asks us to demonstrate our love for Him by having no other Gods. The First Commandment is the first of a series of four that define our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Establishing, developing and maintaining that personal relationship with the true and living God is the most important commitment we can ever make. That is the primary focus of the first of the Ten Commandments; You shall have no other gods before Me. We should love, honour and respect Him so much that He alone is the supreme authority and model in our lives. He alone is God. We should allow nothing to prevent us from knowing His love and truth.

2. The Second Commandments is about Worship. You shall not make for yourself a carved image–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.
The Second Commandment goes to the heart of our relationship with our Creator. It deals with several crucial questions. How do we perceive God? How do we explain Him to ourselves and to others? Above all, what is the proper way to worship God? The Second Commandment is a constant reminder that only we, of all created things, are made in the image of God. Only we can be transformed into the spiritual image of Christ. This Commandment protects our special relationship with our Creator, who made us in His likeness and is still moulding us into His spiritual image.

3. The Third Commandment is about Reverence. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. God asks us to respect His Holy name and not to use it in vain. The Third Commandment focuses on showing respect. It addresses the way we communicate our feelings about God to others and to Him. It encompasses our attitudes, speech and behaviour. Respect is the cornerstone of good relationships. The quality of our relationship with God depends on our love and regard. It also depends on the way we express respect for Him in the presence of others. We are expected always to honour who and what He is.

4.     The Fourth Commandment is about Sanctification and Relationship. Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. God starts off the fourth Commandment with the word “Remember”.   This is because He knew we would forget it. God asks that we keep it set apart for Holy purposes so we can draw nearer to Him. The Fourth Commandment to remember the Sabbath concludes the section of the Ten Commandments that specifically helps define a proper relationship with God, how we are to love, worship and relate to Him. It explains why and when we need to take special time to draw closer to our Creator.  The Sabbath, the seventh day of the week was set apart by God as a time of rest and spiritual rejuvenation.

5.     The Fifth Commandment is about Respect for Parental authority. Honor your father and your mother. God instructs us to show love for our parents by honouring them. The Fifth Commandment introduces us to a series of Commandments that define proper relationships with other people. The fifth through to the tenth serve as the standards of conduct in areas of human behaviour that generate the most far reaching consequences on individuals, families, groups and society. Families are the building blocks of societies that build strong nations.  Any individual or group, including whole nations that understand the importance of strong families reap the rewards of an improved relationship and blessings from God.

6.     The Sixth Commandment is about Respect for Human life. You shall not murder. God asks us to demonstrate love and not hate towards others by not murdering. We must learn to control our tempers. The Sixth Commandment reminds us that God is the giver of life and He alone has the authority to take it or to grant permission to take it. God wants us to go far beyond avoiding murder. He requires that we not maliciously harm another human being in word or deed. God desires that we treat even those who choose to hate us respectfully and do all within our power to live in peace and harmony with them. He wants us to be builders, not destroyers of good relationships. To accomplish this we must respect this wonderful gift of this precious possession, human life.

7.     The Seventh Commandment is about Purity in Relationships. You shall not committ adultery. God asks us to express and demonstrate our love for our partner by not committing adultery.  Most of us need the support and companionship of a loving spouse. We need someone special who can share our ups and downs, triumphs and failures. No one can fill this role like a mate who shares with us a deep love and commitment. Society suffers because we have lost the vision that God had for marriage from the beginning. Marriage is not a requirement for success in pleasing God, but it is a tremendous blessing to couples who treat each other as God intended. Most people desire and need the benefits that come from a stable marriage. To return to what God intended, we must give marriage the respect it deserves.

8. The Eighth Commandment is about Honesty. You shall not steal. God instructs us to show our love and respect for others by not stealing what belongs to them. The Eighth Commandment safeguards everyone’s right to legitimately acquire and own property. God wants that right honoured and protected. His approach to material wealth is balanced. He wants us to prosper and enjoy physical blessings. He also expects us to show wisdom in how we use what He provides us and He does not want possessions to be our primary pursuit in life. When we see material blessings as a means to achieve more important objectives, God enjoys seeing us prosper. To Him it is important that generosity rather than greed motivate the choices we make. Because they are qualities of His own character, He asks that we, from the heart, put giving and serving ahead of lavishing possessions on ourselves.

9.     The Ninth Commandment is about Truthfulness. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. God says if we love others we should not deceive or lie to them. God expects truth to permeate every facet of our lives. Everything in the life of a spiritual being is anchored to truth. God wants us to commit ourselves to truth and reflect it in everything we do.

10.     The Tenth Commandment is about Contentment. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
God instructs us not to covet because it can entrap us into great unhappiness. To covet means to crave or desire, especially in excessive or improper ways. The Tenth Commandment does not tell us that all of our desires are immoral. It tells us that some desires are wrong. Coveting is an immoral longing for something that is not rightfully ours. The focus of the Tenth Commandment is that we are not to illicitly desire anything that already belongs to others. The opposite of coveting is a positive desire to help others preserve and protect their blessings from God. We should rejoice when other people are blessed. Our desire should be to contribute to the well being of others, to make our presence in their lives a blessing to them. The last of the Ten Commandments is aimed directly at the heart and mind of every human being. In prohibiting coveting, it defines not so much what we must do, but how we should think. It asks us to look deep within ourselves to see what we are on the inside.

A reflective reading of these teachings reveal that the first four commandments given are contained in the statement: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” It continues that the last six commandments are enclosed in the statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Today, take a moment to remember how truly loved by God that you are. Take some time to see how God’s love is at work in your own life.  Receive all the wonderful gifts that await you.  Accept and use these gifts for the good of all.

If you are not yet receiving your daily G-note, just go to www.hawkinssharpe.com/kandeeg.com/ – sign up for G-Notes and you will receive the remaining 12 Days.  On the last day, I will forward the entire twelve days. Enjoy! And may you have all the gifts of this amazing Christmas season.

God Bless

Kandee G

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