Thought for Friday 23 July

Thought for Friday 23 July Deuteronomy 29:17 You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Moses had been reminding the Israelites of all the blessings God has given them and warning them that even though they are passing through lands where the people worship idols, the Israelites must not turn away from God and start worshipping idols. There are people who still worship idols today but today’s idols are not Ashera poles or statues of Baal. Now it’s wealth and possessions. Some people strive to own bigger/better/more than their neighbour, sometimes at the expense of family and friends. Or even health. How many people do we know who have spent their lives working every day, without days off to rest and relax? Eventually they find that it’s harder and harder to keep going, their body cannot cope with the constant effort and starts to cause breakdowns in their health. They find themselves in a place where they thought they never would be. Sometimes without family or friends to help. Putting all our effort into having a big, beautiful house and the latest car doesn’t actually satisfy the soul. We need God for that and we can’t afford to use work or possessions as a substitute for Him. 2 Kings 17:41 says, ‘Even while these people were worshipping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.’ Some people think that as long as they take an hour out of their week to go to Church they have done all they need to but God doesn’t want half hearted worship from folks, while they are thinking what they are going to be doing later. He wants us to put our hearts into worshipping Him. Remember Exodus 34:14 says ‘Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.’ Don’t put God to the test! Prayer Almighty God, You alone are worthy of our worship. You are our eternal Father and will be there when material possessions fade away. Help us to show our love for You by daily praise and prayer, let us worship You with heart and soul. May we glorify Your name always. Amen.