February 7 - Exodus 20:1-22:15

Good morning everyone,

Today as we begin you’ll remember from yesterday’s reading that all of Mount Sinai is covered with smoke because God has descended upon it in the form of fire. The Lord called Moses to meet him up on the mountain top and told him to help the Israelites ready themselves, both physically and spiritually to meet with God. They were to set themselves apart from not only sin but also everyday routine, to get ready. All the distractions, preoccupations, which in today’s world would include cell phones, toys, TV, internet, anything that the enemy would use to distract you or take your focus off God, are to be put aside. It was when God felt they were ready that He spoke to them from this cloud the ten commandments designed to lead Israel to a  life of practical holiness. The commands were so the people could see the nature of God and also were guidelines  to meet the needs of each individual in a loving and responsible manner.

Now, I know most of you have seen or at the very least heard of the great movie classic “The Ten Commandments” where Charlton Heston portraying Moses comes down off the mountain with the ten commandments written on the stone tablets he holds in his arms, right? Well this is not what you should be envisioning right now, that’s later. Right now I would ask you to close your eyes for a moment and see this mountain with a 7,500 peak. Compared to mountains we know, are familiar with, such as Mt. Whitney, Mt. Shasta or even Mt. Rainier all being over 14,000 ft., Mt Sinai is not really all that tall, but is now all covered with smoke. Lightening bolts are periodically shooting from the smoke encircling the mountain, thunder following, shaking the earth. It is from this massive cloud that is in perpetual motion God’s voice will boom “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.” Are you seeing this in your mind’s eye? If you are the Israelites, does God have your attention? He would have mine!! 

Once he has their attention God tells them “You must have no other god before me”. Now, you may be wondering “why all the pomp and circumstance?” Well, you need to remember that the Israelites had been held captive for 450 years, they had forgotten all about the God of Abraham and had taken to worshiping gods for rain, for food, for light, for fertility, for … well, you name it and they had a god for it. God wanted to make it perfectly clear  that He is their one and only God. You want to thank a god for food? You thank THE God. You want to ask a god for healing? You ask The God. You just want to worship? You worship God the Father, Maker of heaven and earth, your Rescuer, your Redeemer! 

Our God, your God, my God is the very same way today!  God wants you to idolize Him. He wants you to put all your other gods aside and make Him, God the Father, your primary focus, doing all things with Him in the forefront of your mind. He loves you. He agape loves you! What  does that mean? It means He loves you unconditionally! No matter what you do, though there may be consequence of choice, God loves you and will never leave you. So you may be saying to yourself, “God is my only god, I don’t have any gods or make anything else more important.” Really? How much time do you spend on Facebook or playing online games verses time with God? How much energy do you give to sports verses energy towards God. Do you enjoy sleeping in the mornings rather than getting up to commune with God. There are so many ways, so many things the enemy will use to distract us from God all with the very same lie “you don’t need to be with God now, you can come back to Him, He will be there later”. Where it is true He will be there later, fact remains you have put something else, some form of a god before God Almighty”.

I would challenge you to pray to God, ask Him to reveal to you anything you may be worshiping, anything at all that may have more of your time, or energy, or attention, than God. Then be open to what He has to reveal to you. Our God is an awesome God worthy of all of glory, honor and praise let’s be sure He is our only God. Amen?!

I pray you have a great day. To God be the glory!

God bless you all …