A few years ago, my small group of girlfriends and I did a bible study by Kelly Minter called "No Other Gods." This ended up being a wonderful, stretching study that caused us all to think deeply and desire to change. Last week, one of my friends told me that it was only in that particular study that she learned we could have other gods and idols. She never realized there was any such thing and this kind of revolutionized her thinking a little bit. Has my group of friends successfully lived up to the title of this book every day since? Most definitely not. Do we strive to do that? Most definitely yes. And perhaps, what's more important, is that we have developed an awareness. Please open your Bible and read Deuteronomy 13 or click here.
We have to remember that Moses was instructing the people of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS they needed to know before going into the land. They needed to have a strategy. They needed to be prepared. They needed to be reminded of all that they were capable of. God could have started with any of the 10 Commandments but He chose the first for a reason. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." I think it's important to include verse 6 when citing verse 7. One of the big reasons they should remember NOT to have any other gods is because the Lord your God was the ONE GOD to deliver them out of their slavery. He was the One who had a plan and a promise and He followed through and was always faithful. The Israelites had the potential of being very weak people. Moses was up on the mountain the the presence of their Holy God and they couldn't last 40 days without turning away and creating a golden idol to bow down to. God knew their tendencies and so He started with the big one. You shall have no other gods before me. Worship of the One and Only God is the answer. Nothing else is really even needed. If I live my life always beginning each moment worshiping God alone, I will be able. No matter what, I will be more than able.
Last night I got home from Bible study and put Lydia to bed. I was already behind in writing my blog because Mondays are my busiest day of the week and I was behind because of the weekend. To be completely honest, I was looking forward to watching DJ Tanner dance with the stars even though this has never been one of my shows. I also was hungry because I followed the rules but I hadn't eaten enough filling food at certain times during the day so I wound up wanting to eat. So, I opened my laptop to look at my half-written blog, turned the TV on just in time to watch Candace Cameron Bure come on stage and started raiding the fridge for food, not to mention the fact that I had to text Candace on Facebook to let her know how awesome she did in her debut! By the time I really came before the Lord to finish, I had been distracted and enticed by many things.
"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death." (verses 6-9)
I realize things are a little different in this scenario but I truly do feel like I was being enticed by other things and then chose to put them before God. Maybe if I had chosen God first, I probably would not have eaten as much because I would have been focused on being filled by Him. I confess I think I may have even done a little stressful eating just thinking about how I needed to finish my blog but wanted to do other things too. You shall have no other gods before me. For too long I have let other things stand between God and myself. I wrote before about the need to demolish strongholds. I am working on that while facing this food addiction head on. There will always be little enticing distractions that come my way. I need to remember to always put God first so that I am prepared and ready to fight off the distractions and temptations.
God knew that their hearts were prone to wander. He reminded them that He was the one to bring them out of slavery and then told them that they shall have no other gods before Him. As soon as actually take God off the throne and place other things or people there in His place, we begin to put ourselves back into slavery by those things. What or who have you elevated higher than God? Do you think that those other gods have ever put a wedge between you and the Lord? Is there an unhealthy idol that keeps creeping back into the center of your life? There have been many times in my life that food has been up there on that throne. If it hadn't been, I would have been able to make better choices in my own free will along the way. There is evidence of my placing other gods before God. And there is a need for deliverance and freedom because of my actions. Jesus has set me eternally free but now I need to seek the Lord's help to live free every day. Letting God be the only God of my life and walking with Him through my everything will give me the strength to walk in this freedom every day.
Father, thank you for being the One and Only God who sits on His throne but who also dwells within us and walks beside us. You are so powerful and You deserve all the glory. Forgive me for the times that I elevate other things higher than You. Forgive me for ever thinkni9g that anything else can fill me the way You do. I love you with all of my heart and want to serve only You. Thank you for giving me the strength to choose You. Amen.
Now Choose Love.
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