Sooner or later I will eventually stop talking about camp - (maybe). :) But that week was so spiritually uplifting, I can't help but talk about it for just a little while longer. It was truly a wonderful week. We heard so many great lessons from several different speakers. It was definitely a spiritual boost for me.
The very first lesson was at worship that Sunday morning. The sermon centered on making sure we didn't let anything get ahead of serving the one true and living God. The speaker challenged us to think about what or who we might be putting in front of our Heavenly Father. He asked us if we had any false gods that perhaps we weren't even aware of. The lesson caused me to do a lot of soul searching.
The Hebrew people knew that worshiping idols was a sin. The first of the 10 commandments is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and the second commandment is, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything" in heaven, earth or under the water; and "thou shalt not bow down to them." Our God goes on to explain that He is a jealous God. (Exodus 20:3-5)
The Hebrew nation was surrounded by other countries and peoples who did not believe in the one true and living God. These pagan nations had done exactly what God had told His people not to do. The sun, the moon and all kinds of animals were worshiped as gods back then. Many Israelites found it easy to fall into idolatry. Reading through the Old Testament, we can see that this happened many times.
Our lesson text was from Isaiah, Chapter 44:6-20. Here God reminds His people just how foolish idolatry really is. It is a good lesson for us to learn as well. Through the prophet Isaiah, God declares that He is the first and last and beside Him there is no other god. That's pretty simple isn't it? God says He is the one and only God. No questions as to which "god" to worship - as to who to serve or pray to. God says "I am the one -- there is no one else." In 44:8, the Lord in speaking of other gods - He declares, "I know not any." This is almost as if to say, 'Hey folks if there were any other gods out there I would know who they are and I would tell you about them.' But God said He didn't know any other God.
God tells the people the folly and vanity of making idols from their own hands and then bowing down to them. Verse 9 says that those who make idols do not see or know what they have done. They are so blinded to God's laws that they aren't ashamed of making graven images. But verse 11 goes on to say they will fear and all be ashamed together.
To me this entire passage (Isaiah 44:6-21) is very interesting. Verses 13 through 17 chronicle the deeds of a carpenter who has chosen a tree to cut down and burn. The tree is used as a fire to warm the man. The fire is kindle and the man bakes bread and roasts meat to eat from wood from the same tree. Then in verse 17, he takes what is left over and uses "the residue" (some versions say "block of wood") and makes an idol out of it.
It seems (to me at least) as if God is almost laughing at this man. The wood has not been used to make build a fine home or some piece of furniture or for any grand use. It was burned. And from the fire, the man warmed himself, baked bread and roasted some meat. Then - then the left over block of wood was used to make a "graven image" that he bowed down and worshipped! Even reading this myself, I'm thinking, "Really man? I mean, really?"
Now consider the sad condition that the mad had reached. Verses 18 - "They have not known nor understood: for he hat shut their eyes, that they connot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand." In verse 19 we read that he does not consider in his heart, or have the knowledge or understanding to realize that from the left overs of this tree used to warm himself with and cook with that he has made an abomination and is now going to fall down to a left over block of wood. And finally verse 20 goes so far as to say that the carpenter is so far gone that he "cannot deliver his soul" and cannot even understand there is "a lie" in his right hand. He just cannot see the foolishness of his own actions. How can anyone make fall down and worship something he has made with his own hands.
That morning we were challenged to examine ourselves. The speaker wanted us to search our hearts to see if we had any blocks of wood of our own. I have really thought about this lesson quite a bit since camp. In all this soul searching, I have come to realize how important is to be mindful of this. We must seek God first (Matthew 6:33). We must have no other gods before us. We may not have some little "graven image" in our home today, but how many things do we allow to get in the way of servin Him.
This lesson helped me to realize I must practice self-control. I must allow myself to let my thoughts wander during worship. I must prepare my mind for worship on the first day of the week. I must open my heart to Him and only Him and His Son during the worship hour.
However, putting God first and serving only Him involves so much more than just focusing during worship. As was pointed out to us that Sunday morning, it goes much farther than that -much farther. God is to be our focus every day -all day. As we go through our daily routines, we are to bring glory to Him. We should concentrate on serving Him and only Him. We are to show God we love Him by loving others. We can't allow anything to stand in our way of putting God first - of serving Him and only Him.
Ok - so how about you --and how about me? Do I allow myself to watch too much TV when I could be doing something for God? Honestly, yes sometimes I do. Do I put off taking care of the household in order to make it more comfortable for my husband and children? Or do I put my husband and children before my God in some way? I know I watch too much TV. I know I get stuck playing solitaire on the computer. These are things I need to work on. Nothing is wrong with a TV show or a computer game... (well some of them). What is wrong is not practicing moderation -- is allowing myself to sit for hours at a time when I could be doing something to be a blessing to others. Like I said earlier, I am working on my self-control.
What about sports -- or children's activities? What about work? --Ah... that's another challenge for me. What about friendships? Have we allowed ourselves to be so blinded by our friendships that we perhaps let them lead us away from God? This is not only a danger for young people. We could face that temptation too. What about being so caught up in holding a grudge against someone that we allow that to come before our God? It could be an obsession with your appearance -- or materialism- you know keeping up with the Jones?
See there are so many things that can so easily pull us away from our God. We can lose our focus so quickly that we don't even realize we stopped putting God first. If we aren't very, very careful we can become like the carpenter in Isaiah 44. What a shame to be in such a state!
We mustn't let anything come between us and our God - who is the one and only God. He is the true and living God. He loved us enough to send His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins. God, our Heavenly Father, through the resurrection of Christ gave us hope of eternal glory. If we really want that glory we have to put God first.
God says "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
It is easy to see that others are not seeking God first. It is much more difficult to search our own lives - our own hearts and minds- and realize we are doing the same thing.
And yet that is exactly what we must do.
Christ above all things,
Robin
No comments:
Post a Comment