Devotion:
Read Exodus 20:1-3.
This is the first of the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me.” For the Children of Israel, monotheism (the belief in one and only one god) would make them unique among all the other people with whom they would become neighbors. When they were in Egypt, they had heard of the multiple gods worshiped there. When the Israelites arrived in their Promised Land, they would find the pagan inhabitants there worshiping Baal and Asherah. When David’s son Solomon became king, he married the daughters of many foreign kings to solidify his power, he let them bring their foreign gods into his palace, and Solomon even worshiped those other gods himself.
You and I would not sacrifice to or carve an idol to worship a pagan god, but more subtly and even more dangerous, we may let the desire for certain things become our gods…wealth, power, fame, popularity, and so on. Even good things can become idols or other gods when they become the things we devote our time, energy, and lives to. It is good to remember the first commandment that God alone is to be our ultimate allegiance.
Personal Worship Option:
Think about how you spend your time and what you think about most. What do you love most in life? Are there things that are creeping in, stealing your focus and pushing God aside? Resolve to put God first, and you will be surprised how abundant your life can and will be.
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