Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, October 12, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This is first and foremost. God is God. Nothing else. Anything we put above God in our lives is an idol. Not just statues of bulls or golden calves. Money. Material possessions. People. Reputation. Physical appearance. Professional sports teams. Jobs. Alcohol. Food. Sex.
I do not believe for one moment there is a single human being who has not broken this commandment at one point or another in their life. And I also know that God knows this, and knew this when God gave this commandment. Because every form of soul-sickness, every form of relationship or societal dysfunction, can be traced back to the breaking of this commandment.
God wants us to know that God knows we cannot keep this commandment perfectly. God also wants us to know that God loves us anyway. That we can come back anytime. That we can ask God for help giving up our idols and God will help us do just that.
What have I put before God in my life? How have I returned to God, perhaps over and over again?