Welcome to Thursday, August 19th!

Today’s episode of The Cross Talk Daily Devotional is titled:

Other Gods

Thanks for listening!

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Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995}

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Other Gods

If asked, we adamantly deny that we serve any god other than the one True God. Our instinct is to declare that this is the case. For anyone to suggest otherwise would be fighting words!

Now hopefully, our declaration is the truth. However, is this always the case in our lives? Are we always singularly-minded regarding whom we serve?

First, let's consider God's declaration in:

Exodus 20:3-6 NAS95

"You shall have no other gods before Me.  [4]  "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  [5]  "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,  [6]  but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

We first need to thoroughly understand that there is no other god besides the one True God.

Therefore, if we have regard for or worship anything else, we engage in idolatry. As such, God forbids us from having anything or anyone as our god instead of Him or in addition to Him.

Isaiah 42:8 NAS95

"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

Of all the commandments, the First Commandment requires our constant hyper-vigilance.

As such, we are to be extremely sensitive to the lure of the world. This is not to say that the other commandments are less important. It only means that the lure of the world is so powerful since we live in this fallen world with a fallen nature.

Luther's Small Catechism includes the following question and answer.

What does God require of us in the first commandment?

We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

Above all, He must be the only God in our lives, the only one in whom we trust.

You and I fully understand this, and yet we sometimes find ourselves living with a split allegiance between God and the things of this world. We are to worship Him as the only God in our lives, not as one of several. We show this when we revere and honor Him with our lives and shun all that displeases Him.

Perhaps You and I should engage in an ongoing spiritual inventory concerning this area. How should we do that? What might we ask ourselves?

• Are there things I engage in that draw my attention away from the Lord?
• Have I allowed my allegiance to become divided between the Lord and various things?
• What must I do to remain faithfully and fully aligned with the Lord?

If you find that you are living with a divided allegiance, go before the Lord and confess it as sin.

Then, be forewarned as you go forward.

Let's Pray,

Gracious Heavenly Father,

We understand that we are to be singularly-minded on You, focused on You alone, yet we find ourselves attracted to this world.

Help us not to give in to the lure of the world.

Convict our hearts of all sin.

In the Name of Jesus,

Amen!