WARNING AGAINST IDOLS

When Moses went up to the mountain in the Sinai desert to spend several days with God, the Israelite people became so impatient that they asked Aaron to make them idols to replace God. So, Aaron asked the people to give him all their gold to make one. Aaron then molded the gold to look like a grass-eating bull. The Israelites began to worship the golden bull, making sacrifices to it. God then told Moses to go back to the Israelite camp immediately to rebuke the Israelites for their idolatrous religious activities. Moses threw the Ten Commandments tablet that God gave him in front of them and rebuked them. God punished the Israelites on that day, and 3,000 people died. God also sent a plague to those who participated in worshipping the golden bull. So, Moses pleaded with God for the forgiveness of his people (Numbers 32). Psalm 106:19-23 summarizes the story of the golden bull, "The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold. They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt—such wonderful things in the land of Ham, such awesome deeds at the Red Sea. So, he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them."

Anything that we put a higher importance or value than God in our hearts is considered an idol. Idols in our lives are not just material possessions that we place before our God. They can also include the people we love, our dreams and desires, our jobs, our education, the material things in this world, our comfort, and even ourselves. God wants us to love Him with all our hearts, with all of our souls, with all of our minds, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30). God created us for Himself and not for ourselves. God created us to worship and serve Him in everything that we do. It means that as we do our daily chores, activities, and work, we all do it for His honor and glory. God wants to be the most important thing in our hearts, above anyone and anything in our lives. When we love God more than anything in this world, our lives will become aligned with His perfect will. 

Remember, God is the one who provided us with everything, including our lives, families, jobs, and daily needs to survive. How much more can God do in our lives if we love Him first before anyone and everything?  

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Do I put God first above everything in my heart? Why is it difficult for me to love God more than anything in this world? How should I live my life, knowing that God provided everything that I have? 

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, you are the one who created me and the one who provides my daily needs. I was naked when I was born, and you clothed, fed, and helped me to grow and mature. I am what I am today because of your blessings. I breathe because you pump oxygen into my lungs. Please continue to teach me to love you more than anything in this world. Please change my heart to worship you alone. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.