Make a Difference This Summer
Three ways you can help Superbook share the Gospel with more children
‘Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.’
(Exodus 34:14, NIV)
I was listening to an excellent podcast recently…it was unpacking the book of Isaiah and its many themes but homing in on one specific theme in particular – the unfaithfulness of the people of God.
Now, I’m not wanting to begin this blog on a negative front, but the content of the podcast and what was discussed really got me thinking about the over-arching narrative of the entire Bible.
It could go something like this:
God creates a good world and places humanity within it as His image-bearers, inviting them into relationship and responsible freedom. He gives them a boundary that calls for trust in His wisdom.
Humans, influenced by deception, choose to define good and evil apart from God, breaking trust and fracturing their relationship with Him, each other, and creation.
Yet God does not abandon them but begins a process of restoration.
This framework and pattern loosely repeats itself many times over and over in scripture where God calls His people to return to Him in restored and renewed relationship, things go well between us for a time, then humankind does something to break the covenantal trust that exists between us and our God, again.
The topic on the table today, I believe, is a divided heart.
Even in the Garden of Eden, right at the inception of creation, man and woman are given everything they could possibly need:
And yet, with the only boundary placed safely around them, they are easily deceived and led to believe that God is withholding good things from them and they want more.
How much does this ring true with us and the state of our world today?
We have everything we could ever need in relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – and yet we reach for love and satisfaction in lesser gods:
The list of lower case ‘g’ gods goes on and on.
I think one of the more insulting things for God could possibly be when we go after lesser God’s, committing idolatry and breaking His jealous heart, but we also intermingle those gods with the one true, living God.
Lesser gods are entertained amidst a holy relationship with God.
This is why God had to address, in Isaiah 1, the detestable burnt offerings, assemblies and festivals held in ‘His honour’, yet with a divided heart.
This ‘God and _________’ mentality has followed us all the way to present day.
We want God and fame.
God and riches.
Jesus with a side of idolatry.
This cannot be my friends.
If we are harbouring love for lesser gods, we must return to Jesus – the One who stood in the widest gap that exists in all the universe – the gap between our sinful selves and our perfect God – and be honest.
Let’s not parade before God with our divided displays of devotion.
The Lord wants and deserves nothing less than a united, whole heart in each of our chests and in every single one of our gatherings.
“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)
God walked the Israelites through the wilderness to rid them of their gods.
He exiled the Israelites to Babylon to rid them again of their idols.
Now we have the perfect Son of God to remove our sin and idolatry as far away from us as the east is from the west, if only we will accept His sacrifice and believe.
Let us not come before the Lord – who knows our hearts – and pretend.
Let us approach His throne of grace with wholehearted devotion, removing lesser loves and false gods from our inventory.
Let us thank Him for all He has given us and all He has done for us – once and for all – to ensure that we never again have to live another day without Him and His loving presence.
‘I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.’
(Psalm 9:1, ESV, emphasis added)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
