Topic: Serve God Only [Saturday October 21, 2017]
Text: Exodus 20:18-26
Key Verse: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold”(Exodus 20:23).
God hates anything that competes with Him for pre-eminence in our hearts. Whatever else we do, we must accord Him the rightful place in our lives. Otherwise, He will leave us to our own whims. This was what He did to the Israelites, who rebelled repeatedly in the wilderness and died without entering the Promised Land.
Their offspring were then expected to serve only the living God through obedience to His statutes. But they continued to rebel now and again. They created other gods in total disobedience to the expressed law of God. They began to keep the laws of these gods in order to justify themselves before the idols. They offered their children in sacrifice to their idols.
Instead of trusting in the grace of the Almighty who brought them out of Egypt as a nation, they sought to appease their own guilt by obedience to laws they made for themselves. Despite the punishment that was meted out to their fathers and how the older generation perished in the wilderness, the children of Israel continued in rebellion. This shows the hard-heartedness of the natural man.
When they should appreciate God for what He did for them – the innumerable miracles wrought in their lives – they allowed Satan to continue his dangerous hold on them. We are being challenged to show gratitude to God for all His great works in our lives by being obedient to His word. When you disobey Him or continue in sin, you court His displeasure. But you are then treading the same dangerous and destructive path the children of Israel trod. You can receive grace today to walk in the right path if you allow God have His way.
Thought for the day: The redeemed is made different to make a difference.
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Kings 20-21
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
