DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-02-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL
SCRIPTURE FROM: Exodus 20:4-6
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)
BIBLE TEXT: 4 You are not to make any idol or image of other gods. In fact, you are not to make an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. 5 You are not to bow down and serve any image, for I, the Eternal your God, am a jealous God. As for those who are not loyal to Me, their children will endure the consequences of their sins for three or four generations. 6 But for those who love Me and keep My directives, their children will experience My loyal love for a thousand generations.
APPLICATION: Our women flirt and husbands, or boyfriends become so jealous that they are only left to kill the enemy that is stepping in on their relationships. So is it any wonder why God said that being a jealous God, He would bring damnation on the individuals, who worship their own manmade idols, plus their children for several generations that follow? Let’s remember that God had just freed these people from slavery, and He was faithful in providing for their good, each and every day while traveling. But before the Israelites left Egypt, God demanded that they go and ask for the gold jewelry of their slave masters, whose hearts He would soften and prepare to freely give up their precious gold. This sounded like God was providing awesome gifts to His people, however nce the Israelites were up against decisions God made that were not in line with their desires, they took this gold and melted it down to form little gold images that they felt they could worship. In today’s world, we look in awe at the story of the Israelites while shaking our heads in surprise that our ancestors could be so ungrateful to turn their backs on the One True God who freed them and provided for their every need. It seems so ridiculous that they would worship images, and so hopeless to imagine that they could expect golden images to take the place of the Creator of the Universe. But what have we done that’s so much better, or that would impress our Creator? Our people are filled with excuses why they will not join us in worship to our God; Why they will not allow us to pray with their loved ones on beds of affliction; Why they are too busy with work, football games; hunting; boating; beaches; parties, and any number of things that are truly much higher on their priority list than simply worshiping God. Remember, our God is the One who walked on water; parted the Red Sea; Raised Lazarus from death; Opened the eyes of the blind; Provided food for our parents when there was no hope of feeding their families at night; etc, etc. Friends, might God look at many of the things that take His place in our lives as our ‘gods’ that are much like the golden images the Israelites worshipped? Are we willing for the same consequences that God said would fall on the Israelites – that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and more would suffer because of our selfish and careless attitudes towards the Great I Am? Our God loves us so much precious friends, that He is jealous about seeing us choose any other path besides His offer of salvation. Carefully examine your path dear friends, and your decisions. Be sure that your plans are filled with the worship, and plans, of the Father, to whom we owe our very lives, and who has presented His eternal offer for life everlasting.
BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a promise to know that God will bless our generations because of our faithfulness. For the faithful, this is outstanding news that will help us live out our lifetime here on earth in peace and reassurance of tomorrow.
PRAYER: Dear God, please continue to remind us that there is no God like our God. You have not promised us tomorrow, so may we be ready at any given moment to be taken up to glory to be with You. Please forgive us when we turn the other way and acknowledge our little ‘gods’. You have been so good to us that our minds should be fixed on You and our worship stayed on You. Please help us to be encouragers of the weak and may we always be willing and ready to share the Gospel with those who have chosen to ignore Your goodness and worship their earthly gods instead. You alone deserves our praise and our worship, so we acknowledge our allegiance to You oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.AMEN!
FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!