Flee from Idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14-22)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

It’s so easy to get caught up with the things of this world … too easy. We’re inundated with images of wealth, beauty, sex. The biggest, fastest car. The grandest house. The designer clothes. The gorgeous celebrities. It’s all so enticing.

It’s easy to make things and people our idols. We focus on them instead of God. We “sacrifice” to them instead of to the One who created us and then made a way for salvation.

It’s true. We may not literally sacrifice on an altar, but we do sacrifice every day. We sacrifice our time, our money, our God-given skills and talents.

Instead of spending time in prayer, we watch television. Instead of focusing on God’s word, we focus on the latest gossip or bestselling novel. Instead of giving to our church, we take the vacation of a lifetime.

I’m not saying these things are bad in themselves. I watch television. I read novels. I love to travel. But I try very hard to make these things significantly lower on the priority scale than my time with God.

We can’t sacrifice to the world and equally sacrifice to God. One or the other will come out on top.

The question is: Which is more important? Where are we investing the majority of our time, treasures, and talents?

Make the Lord Your Trust (Psalm 40:4)

Today's scripture: Psalm 40:4

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, mankind has had idols. Some idols have been of wood or gold or bronze. Others have been of flesh.

We still have our idols today. We hoard our stuff. We pay homage to our credit cards. We revere celebrities or sports icons. We respect the successful in business. We spend more time worshipping at the altar of television or the Internet than we do at the foot of God's throne.

We don't trust God; we trust our things or other people.

Then we wonder why we're so discontent.

One of my favorite talks I give is called "Joy Stealers" It's about those things that are lurking about every corner that want to steal our God-given joy. One of those "thieves" is discontent. No matter how much we have, we find ourselves wanting just a little bit more. We envy those with a bigger house, a better car, or a more prestigious career. I told those moms that there are a couple of ways to "arrest" discontentment.

The first is to spend time with those less fortunate than we are. For example, it's difficult to be discontent with our more-than-adequate houses when we volunteer at a homeless shelter.

The second is to trust God. If we believe His word and trust that He has a plan for our lives (see Jeremiah 29:11)—and we surrender our lives to that plan—then we can rest in the knowledge that whatever we have, whatever we do, is part of that plan.

We really are blessed when we "make the Lord [our] trust." He is faithful and will never let us down. Never.

The One Great God (Psalm 95:3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 95:3

In the days this psalm was written, false religions abounded and so-called gods were worshiped throughout the know world. Man-made gods. Gods that somehow met the spiritual needs of their followers.

But time and time again, the God of Israel proved Himself to be the one and only true God.

It’s the same today. Yes, some religions, like Hinduism, follow many gods. But we have other gods today. The god of money. The god of success. The god of fame. The god of possessions. The god of “my will.”

We worship at the feet of these idols, thinking these gods will somehow meet our spiritual needs.

There is only one great God. There is only one God who is our strength and protector and provider. There is only one God who heals. One God who give grace. One God who loves unconditionally. One God who saves.

The God of the Bible continues to prove Himself as the one and only God. He is above any other god you may worship. He is the God who will shower you with grace and save you from your sins. He is the God who will bless you on earth and welcome you one day into His kingdom.

I pray you know that God. The one and only true and great God.

Where Is Your Focus? (1 John 2:15-17)

Today’s scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Our world offers many enticements. Things that appeal to our flesh, that catch our eyes. Wear this, and you’ll look like her. Use this make-up, and you’ll defy age. Drive this car, and you’ll be popular. Ads and commercials depict beautiful, carefree people living just for today.

And sometimes even we Christ-followers get caught up in the hype. But the Bible makes it very, very clear. We cannot love the world and God. Whichever is our primary focus becomes either our God (capital “g”) or our god (lower case “g”).

The Bible makes something else very, very clear: This world and everything in it is temporary. It will “pass away.” In fact, it’s in the very act as I write this. Even many secular scientists say the world is winding down, and we who follow Christ know that, one day, He will return. This world and its lusts will be destroyed, and we’ll live eternally in the new heaven and earth God has planned for us.

So … where is your focus? Are you running after the temporary things of this world? Or are you looking toward eternity? Are you living to serve God? Or the gods of this world?

You have to make a choice. Choose wisely.

God Above All Gods (Ps. 95:3)

Today’s scripture: Psalm 95:3

In the days this psalm was written, false religions abounded and so-called gods were worshiped throughout the know world. Man-made gods. Gods that somehow met the spiritual needs of their followers.

But time and time again, the God of Israel proved Himself to be the one and only true God.

It’s the same today. Yes, some religions, like Hinduism, follow many gods. But we have other gods today. The god of money. The god of success. The god of fame. The god of possessions. The god of “my will.”

We worship at the feet of these idols, thinking these gods will somehow meet our spiritual needs.

There is only one great God. There is only one God who is our strength and protector and provider. There is only one God who heals. One God who give grace. One God who loves unconditionally. One God who saves.

The God of the Bible continues to prove Himself as the one and only God. He is above any other god you may worship. He is the God who will shower you with grace and save you from your sins. He is the God who will bless you on earth and welcome you one day into His kingdom.

I pray you know that God. The one and only true and great God.