1. We all have been baptized. In Holy Baptism God has received us as His children. _God is our heavenly Father._ A father gives his children his commands. He tells them what they should do and not do, how they should live to please him. So our heavenly Father has given us, His children, His _commandments._ He tells us what, according to His will, we should do and not do, how we should live and walk in His sight. As His obedient children we will gladly hear and learn His will and try, with His gracious help, to lead such lives as will please Him. It should be our pleasure to fulfil His commandments, for they are the will of our Father, who loves us so dearly.--_The Ten Commandments are our heavenly Father's will; they tell us what we should do and not do._ 2. _"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,"_ that is the first of the Ten Commandments. That is the will of God, our Lord and Father, that we are to have no other gods before or besides Him. He who is the only true God should be our God. Him alone, and nobody and nothing besides Him, we are to have and regard as our God. _"I am, the Lord, that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another"_ Is. 42,8. When do we regard God as our God? When is He our God indeed? Our Catechism says: _"We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."_ When we fear God, and love Him, and trust in Him above all things, then He is truly our God. 3. _"We should fear God."_ A dutiful child fears his father. He certainly is not afraid of him, but he honors and respects him. In the same manner we should fear God. He says: _"I am the almighty God."_ Gen. 17,7. He has, through His mighty word, made heaven and earth. Because God is so great and mighty, we should fear Him. We should not be afraid of Him,--the almighty God is our Father,--but we should honor and respect Him above all things. 4. A child shows his fear and filial respect for his father _by not doing anything wrong,_ because his dear father might see it or hear of it. He is afraid he might displease his father by disobeying him, yes, cause him grief. _God is always with us. He sees and hears everything we do or say, yea, He knows the very thoughts of our hearts._ We should always remember that He is present wherever we are, and therefore behave accordingly. We should be afraid to grieve our heavenly Father by doing wrong. _The fear of God will keep us from doing anything against His holy will. "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."_ Prov. 16,6. _Think of Joseph, in Egypt!_ When he was tempted by Potiphar's wife, he remembered that God was with him, therefore he told her: _"How, then, can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"_ Gen. 30,9. Remember always: God is with me! and you will not do such great wickedness and sin against your God. _"I am the almighty God; walk before Me and be thou perfect."_ Gen. 17,1. _We fear God, when we honor and respect Him, when we walk before Him, and for His sake keep away from sin._