The ten sonnets, each tied to a Ten Commandment (Exodus 20:1–17), distill their moral and spiritual core in Shakespearean form (14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG). They promote sole worship of God, rejection of idols, reverence for His name, Sabbath rest, respect for parents, sanctity of life, fidelity in marriage (addressing single and married without first person in the seventh sonnet), honesty, truth, and contentment. Together, they uphold devotion to God and personal integrity, guiding individuals toward righteous living and inner peace.
First Commandment: You shall have no other gods before Me.
No rival gods shall claim the heart’s high throne,
For One alone deserves all worship true.
False idols carved of wood or gleaming stone
Dissolve when matched against the Lord’s purview.
The stars, the seas, the mountains vast and wide
All sing His name, Creator of their frame.
No fleeting power dares to stand beside
The boundless might that kindles heaven’s flame.
Yet mortals stray, enticed by fleeting gain,
To bow before what fades beneath His gaze.
Return, O soul, to Him who breaks the chain,
And find in truth the source of endless days.
Sole Sovereign reigns, unmatched in love and might,
His glory fills the day, His peace the night.
Second Commandment: You shall not make for yourself an idol.
No graven image dares to steal the place
Of Him who formed the heavens with a word.
Vain hands that craft a god of lifeless face
Defy the truth where holy light is stirred.
The molten calf, the totem, or the shrine,
All crumble under time’s unyielding tread.
The heart that seeks the sacred and divine
Finds God in spirit, not in stone or lead.
No symbol wrought by mortal skill can hold
The majesty that spans eternity.
Let worship rise, untainted, pure, and bold,
To One unseen, yet known in liberty.
Cast down the idols, let their altars fall,
For God alone is worthy of the call.
Third Commandment: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
The name of God, a sacred, holy sound,
Shall not be dragged through vain or careless speech.
Its weight commands the heart to stand profound,
Not flung in jest where folly dares to reach.
A vow untrue, a curse that lightly flies,
Defiles the tongue and scorns the heavens’ grace.
The lips that honor Him with truth arise,
Their words a mirror of His boundless face.
No oath shall bind what righteousness denies,
Nor cloak deceit beneath a holy veil.
The name divine, when spoken, lifts the skies,
Its power endures where mortal tongues prevail.
Guard well the name that holds creation’s key,
And speak with awe the Lord’s eternity.
Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
The seventh day, a gift of sacred rest,
Invites the soul to pause from earthly toil.
Its hours, by God’s own sanctity caressed,
Renew the spirit on this hallowed soil.
No labor bends the back, no burdens press,
For freedom reigns where worship lifts the heart.
The Sabbath calls to ponder and profess
The One who set this holy day apart.
From dawn to dusk, let gratitude ascend,
In quiet thought or song of joyful praise.
The world’s demands shall neither break nor bend
This time to walk in God’s unhurried ways.
Keep holy, then, this day of sweet release,
And find in rest the promise of His peace.
Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother.
Respect shall crown the parents’ guiding hand,
Whose love and labor shape the tender years.
Their wisdom, though at times not understood,
Binds family ties where trust and duty stand.
No scorn should cloud the reverence that’s due,
For through their care, life’s lessons find their start.
The young and old, in harmony renewed,
Grow strong when honor dwells within the heart.
Though flaws may mark the path they’ve walked before,
Their sacrifice demands a grateful mind.
To honor them is blessing, not a chore,
A chain of love that time shall not unbind.
Long life and peace shall follow those who heed,
This call to cherish parents’ sacred creed.
Sixth Commandment: You shall not murder.
No hand shall rise to steal a breath away,
For life, by God’s own hand, is knit and sealed.
Each soul, a spark of heaven’s boundless day,
Bears sacred worth no hatred dares to yield.
The blade, the word, the wrath that fuels the fire,
All break the bond of love’s eternal plan.
To kill is to defy the heart’s desire,
And stain the earth where fellowship began.
Yet mercy calls the violent to repent,
To turn from death and seek the light of grace.
Forgiveness heals where bitter hearts are spent,
Restoring peace to life’s embattled space.
Let love prevail, let every soul abide,
For God alone gives life none may divide.
Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.
(No first person, addressing single and married)
The sacred bond of marriage, pure and strong,
Demands fidelity from those who vow.
No wandering heart shall break its holy song,
Nor seek in lust what covenant disallows.
For married souls, the promise must endure,
A trust unbroken by deceit’s cruel art.
The single, too, shall keep their passions pure,
And guard the sanctity of every heart.
No fleeting thrill can match the steady flame
Of love that honors God’s ordained design.
Temptation’s call, though cloaked in fleeting fame,
Betrays the soul and taints the love divine.
Let all, unwed or joined, uphold this truth,
And walk in chastity through age and youth.
Eighth Commandment: You shall not steal.
No hand shall take what rightfully belongs
To neighbor, friend, or stranger in the way.
Theft breaks the trust that heals a world of wrongs,
And clouds the heart with greed’s unyielding sway.
The coin, the time, the honor that’s another’s,
All bear the mark of justice, pure and fair.
To seize them wounds the bond that makes us brothers,
And leaves the soul in poverty’s despair.
Yet righteousness restores what theft has torn,
Through restitution and a contrite plea.
The hand that gives shall find its wealth reborn,
In generosity’s unending sea.
Leave others’ goods untouched, and walk upright,
For honesty reflects the truest light.
Ninth Commandment: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
No tongue shall weave a lie to harm or snare,
Nor twist the truth to wound a neighbor’s name.
False words ignite a fire none can repair,
And cast on innocence unearned shame.
The court, the street, the whispered tale that stings,
All falter when deceit becomes their guide.
Truth stands as virtue’s shield, its anthem sings,
Where honesty and justice coincide.
To speak with candor, free from guile’s intent,
Is to reflect the God who sees all things.
Let every word align with what is meant,
And guard the peace that faithful witness brings.
Bear truth alone, though lies may tempt the mind,
For in its light, true fellowship we find.
Tenth Commandment: You shall not covet.
No heart shall crave what lies beyond its own,
Nor envy wealth or joy in others’ hands.
Covetous thoughts, like seeds of discord sown,
Unravel peace and break love’s sacred bands.
The neighbor’s house, their goods, their favored state,
Are not for longing, but for grateful cheer.
Desire unchecked breeds only bitter fate,
And blinds the soul to blessings ever near.
Contentment finds its root in God’s good will,
His gifts sufficient for the heart’s true need.
Let thankfulness the restless spirit still,
And free the mind from envy’s grasping greed.
Rejoice in what is given, great or small,
For God’s provision satisfies it all.
Passionately Pursuing Christ 