Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. ~ Exodus 20:23
The above verse hits me in the eye when I had my time with God this morning.
“Do not make any gods to be alongside me…” As I pondered on this verse, two seemingly unrelated questions came up in my mind:
- How patient am I with God?
- How do I react when God’s answers to my prayers are long in coming?
Searching my mind for the answers, God exposed my idol – my strength. My strength is the idol that is side by side with God. I’ve to admit that this is true. I know God and I’ve a simple desire to please him but I often failed when it comes to the test of waiting on God’s providence. I often caught myself making decisions or arrangements without consulting God first because I thought God wouldn’t mind and my decisions are for the best. I often justified my decisions are for the good of others and there is nothing wrong in doing good. But are they REALLY good?
I admit that I fall into the same trap as Eve. We all know the story: man and wife happily led their lives in paradise and they had God walked in their garden. One fine day, the Father of Lies paid them a visit cleverly disguised as a snake. He befriended Eve and asked her a seemingly innocent question as an opening to sow seeds of doubt in her heart. Eve was tricked to eat that fruit because she believed the lie that living without obedience to God was OK and she only wanted to do what she thought was the best. Now don’t we all fall into the same trap? Yes, we knew that God has great plans for each one of us (Jeremiah 29:11) but when the tough gets going, don’t we all feel that it’s better to act without waiting for God? We often failed to obey God because we thought we knew what is the best for our situations. And that’s when our own strength becomes an idol because we put our trust in it more than we trust God.
For some people idols could also be tangible things like their children, spouse, career, hobby, wealth and so on. Of course all these are important but my point is God is God, the Master of all things. His priority precedes our family even our lives and indeed without him nothing we do is possible.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. ~ John 1:3-4
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ~ John 15:5
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ~ Colossians 1:16-17
Let us all weed out that extra gods in our lives and give all due honor to the one who provides everything we have.
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Good reminder. It is very important to put God in highest place. If not we are tempted to fall. Great article.