Our nation, our culture, and perhaps even our world would have us to believe that everything is permissible – if the person’s intentions were right. In an effort to avoid offending others, we have become a passive, lukewarm group of people who are trying to pick and choose the parts of God’s word that fit us and discard the pieces that go against what we would like to believe.
Our cut and paste faith inaccurately represents the One True God. We distort who God really is. We completely misrepresent Him, and yet seem more comfortable with doing so, than standing up against the norm in an effort to represent Him with accuracy.
How can we represent Him well? How can we truly know who God is or what He stands for? It will not come from our culture. It will not come from social media. It may not come from other Christian’s or churches! The only way we can really represent Him and know Him well is to engage in His word regularly. We need to ask Him to reveal truth to us. To open our eyes. We need to recognize that we see through filters of our human nature and baggage, but by seeking God and asking for His help to see clearly, honestly, transparently, we can. He will reveal Himself. He wants to be known.
There are other gods in our world. There is no other God. Manmade gods are virtually limitless. The God of Creation stands alone. “LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power, who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is none like you.” (Jeremiah 10:6-7)
God has not ever given us permission to have other gods or to worship them. God wants us to put Him first in our hearts and lives because He simply deserves nothing less. God is certainly full of love and mercy, but make no mistake, God is not a passive leader! He gets angry when we remove Him from His rightful place. It is unacceptable to Him. And God is all powerful. Truly there is nothing that God cannot bring about. Nothing is too great for Him to do. “But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The wold earth trembles at His anger. The nations cannot stand up to His wrath.” (Jeremiah 10:10) “But the LORD made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. With His own understanding, He stretched out the heavens. When He speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from His storehouses.” (Jeremiah 10:12-13) Truly His power, might, and intellect far exceeds that of mankind!
“But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, His own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is His name!” (Jeremiah 10:16)
God is not an idol. He is not some prophet. He does not ebb and flow with the times or desires of people. He is consistent and true. He is not a god of the past, rather, He has always been, currently is, and will always be – set apart. Holy. Righteous. Unchanging. Merciful. Just. Good.
Blessings!