Hours. Hours and hours spent watching TV or having my cell phone in hand. Literally hours. First thing in the morning get coffee then check Facebook, email, and the weather. Drink coffee, walk the dog, check the phone or computer. Hours. Fit in a little Bible reading or writing scripture passages, then check the phone or computer.
As I typed my previous post about the Sabbath, (Ten Little Rules), God whispered in my ear, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” OK. I feel another correction coming on. “But God, I don’t serve other gods. I’m not a Buddhist or Muslim or even an atheist; I testify to serving only you.”
My heart felt God’s reply. Hmm…consider all the time you spend on the things of this world. Consider what or who is the first thing you go to when you get up in the morning. What always draws your attention and pulls you in? What are you willing to bypass to get to something “more enticing.” What are you obsessed with? What has bewitched you?
I looked up the definition of “bewitched” since I felt God had dropped that word into my heart. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, bewitched means “controlled or affected by or as if by a magic spell.” When I looked at synonyms, "entranced" came up and the definition caught my attention. Entranced means “to carry away with delight, wonder, or rapture.” It also means “power or permission to enter; the means or place of entry.” When I am bewitched by something, I give permission for whatever it is to enter my life and carry me away. It may seem delightful and wondrous at the time, but is it really that wonderful when it takes God’s rightful place in my life and carries me farther away from Him? Is it so great when it leads my heart to despair and frustration instead of peace?
My life feels controlled by social media. It affects my time, my emotions and my mental health. While there can be positives to these means of connection with others, it should not come before God. He is a jealous God wanting no one and nothing to come before Him and become a god in my life. He knows that the things of this world--the things we put before Him in our lives--will never bring the good He has for us.
I John 2:4 says, “If someone says, ‘I belong to God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth.” (NLT) I do not want to be a liar. I want to live in the truth. Therefore, I need to obey God in all things, starting with the Ten Commandments. I want to fully belong to Him.
God has been awakening my heart to areas I fall short in. He is calling me to a closer relationship with Him, and to walk in a manner that reflects Him. I claim to follow Him, but has my life shown it? Have I allowed the entrance of other gods into my life, pushing Him to a lesser place in favor of temporal things that carry me away? I don’t want to be “carried away.” I want to be closer to God; to hear Him say, “well done, good and faithful servant.” I want to experience Him in my life so fully that no matter what happens in this world, I have His peace.
I do not want any other gods in my life. I want the one true God and for Him to be first in my life. How about you? Have other things or people entered your life and carried you away from putting God first in your life? Have other things bewitched you? I challenge you to examine your heart and then let God reveal areas He wants to purify. It won’t be easy, but the enchantment of those things will lose all their attraction when we see clearly the glory of God and experience His life-giving peace.
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