Donna is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and Biblical counselor. She has been blogging through the Bible each year since 2012. She loves God's Word and sharing how freeing and practical it is. She is certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
Not all idolatry is characterized by the worship of statues and even when it is, there are idols of the heart at play, as well. We might say they are the idols behind the idols.
God warned the nation of Israel over and over to repent and turn from their idolatry. Their refusal to do so took them into captivity and cost them the loss of their land, their homes, their freedom, and often their families. The consequences of idolatry are just as devastating today! So, how can we know if we have idols of the heart?
Can religion become an addiction? Can it offer an escape from reality? Worse yet, could it give someone a false sense of security concerning their relationship with God? What would a religious addiction look like? And could churches today be full of people suffering from religious addiction?
Also, read about how the Israelites tried to justify living life their own way and then tried to avoid the consequences of doing so. Could we be doing the same thing today?
Does salvation + time + knowledge = spiritual maturity? If not, where does it come from? From years of church membership? From learning how to use Bible software or getting 10 devotionals in your inbox? Does it come with a degree in theology? Or from attending Bible studies week after week? If not, what does it take?
What is it about the Bible? How is it different from any other book? Why have so many tried to destroy it and why is it so vilified today? And for us personally, why does it have the ability to both pierce and warm our hearts in a way nothing else can?
But we don’t just have a unique book, we have the unique privilege of coming into the throne room of God. What can we hope to find when we come into that throne room? Should we expect judgment and begrudging answers? Or can we expect something quite different?
Every day we read about people who abuse children, traffic in other human beings, sell drugs to teenagers, and desert their families. We see people who destroy the lives and reputations of others to get ahead financially or politically or to acquire power in some area of life. Others become wealthy by preying on the most vulnerable. Why do evil people seem to get away with murder?
Add to that, events like school shootings, terror attacks, and hate crimes and it’s tempting to wonder, “Where is God?” “Why doesn’t He deal with evil people who do such things?”
Ezekiel was called to speak truth to a hard-hearted and rebellious people, but God gave him the strength he needed and told him, “Do not be afraid of them!”
We live in a time when people have similar attitudes and responses to the truth. Sometimes we will suffer persecution, not just for what we say or do, but for who we are because darkness hates the light. And sometimes, our persecutors can be people close to us, even our own family members.
Also, what can we learn from Jesus about persecution? And what did Peter, who once denied his Lord, learn that can help us trust God and have the strength to do what He’s called us to do?
How can we pray when it’s hard to pray? When we experience times of trouble and need God most, we often find it hardest to pray. Our emotions are all over the place. Words don’t come. Yet, God understands and left us many road maps to follow during those times. Today’s reading in Psalms has one example.
We’ll, also, look at a verse in Proverbs that could have been written about our turbulent political times. And we’ll take a closer look at Ezekiel’s puzzling vision of four living creatures and wheels within wheels and what it all means.
Do you have a sense of guilt over something from your past? Is there someone to whom you need to make amends or restitution? Restitution is restoring or paying back something that has been lost, stolen, or damaged. Maybe it’s not something you actually stole. Maybe you hurt or sinned against someone and you need to seek forgiveness. Is there a letter you need to write or a call you need to make? Could not doing so be hindering your relationship with God?
In Jeremiah’s day, God removed His restraining grace and let sin run its course because of their ongoing rebellion. What does the loss of restraining grace look like in a nation or an individual life? Could the same thing be playing out in our country or yours, wherever you live?
The loss of His restraining grace leads to a downward slide into an increasingly godless society. Paul gives us a list of sins that occur near the bottom of that free fall: homosexuality, sexual immorality, unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hatred of God and His Word, lack of respect, pride, inventing all kinds of evil, rebellion against parents and all authority, lack of trustworthiness, and a lack of love and mercy. But the very bottom is when a society approves of those who practice such things. Could we already be there and, if so, how should we respond?
All of God’s Word is valuable for teaching us to live a God-honoring life, but today’s New Testament reading contains a great synopsis of the basics of the Christian life including our responsibilities whether older men and women or younger.
Also, read about God’s incredible patience and the reason God may be allowing some unpleasant circumstances in our lives.
