Bible Reading: Psalm 81, 82 & 83; Romans 11:19-36
“There shall no strange God be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god” Psalm 81:9 (KJV).
The worship of so many gods is common in our world today. Satan, the ruler of this world, is doing all he can to make sure he diverts as many as he can into destruction before his set time. A lot of people worship idolss, yet they do not know it. This sin of worshipping another God is called idolatry.
In the bible days, people worship other gods such as Baal, Molech, Astoreth, and others. Today, people’s attention are diverted by god’s such as money, sex, drugs, entertainment, and even football. These things become idols or gods when they begin to contend with, or divert your attention from the worship of the only true God. God hates idolatry, for He is a jealous God. The consequences of worshipping others gods are severe.
God always punished the Israelites for mixing their worship of Him with the worship of the gods of people they conquered, like the Canaanites. Matters came to a head when He allowed the Babylonians carry them into 70 years captivity in Babylon. The nation with the strongest or most powerful being became slaves to people they were supposed to be ruling over.
Idolatry reduces your value. Our true value is seen by the presence of the One with us. Psalm 114:3 (KJV) says, “The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.” We lose lose divine presence when we follow after false gods. When Acan stole, this made a little nation called Ai to defeat Israel. God separated Himself from them (Joshua 7). Divine presence is far from those who worship idol.
Worshipping others gods gives the enemy advantage over God’s people. Psalm 81:14 (KJV) says, “I shall soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.” When God is not there the enemy takes over. Never let any thing come between you and God in your worship to Him, so that like your elder brother, Jesus Christ, you can say boldly: the enemy has nothing in me (John 14:30). Make it your utmost priority to worship God alone.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for bringing me out of the hold of the enemy to serve You. LORD, I receive the grace to serve You wholeheartedly for the rest of my life, in Jesus Name.