"NO OTHER GODS!"

Exodus 20:3-6                           (ESV)

"3 You shall have "NO OTHER GODS" before ME.

4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."

Recently one of my son's telephoned me.  He was asking what his mom and dad wanted for Christmas.  I told him all we really wanted was for our children to be happy, and to come home and visit.  Gifts can be something we give because they can display our love and affection.  But what shows our love and affection more than spending time with the one's we love?

Isn't that what GOD desires of us?  We were created to praise HIM, and THAT is what really makes us happy.  Yet our "selfish desire" is to focus on ourselves and to do things that we "think" will make us happy.  The enemy is known for his deceptive tactics, therefore he is known as the 'great deceiver".  When we think we are serving "our" desires, aren't we are really worshipping at the altar of the devil?  Anytime we fail to worship our CREATOR, we wind up worshipping "a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" and breaking GOD's heart.

Television, magazines, and all other kinds of advertising make money out of attracting our desires to have something WE THINK we can't do without.  Most of the time the things we think we can't do without are the thing that causes us to lose focus of WHO we really need to be focused on.  Who do you think benefits the most from us not focusing on our CREATOR???  Do we put as much emphasis on putting "NO OTHER GOD'S" before HIM as we do giving gifts at Christmas time?

No one likes to buy presents more than I do.  When I first met the woman who would become my wife, I bought her a rather large stuffed animal that we still have!  When my grandchildren arrive I am sure they will be showered with gifts that they treasure as well.  But the one gift I pray they see and learn from me will be to worship and honor the GOD spoken of in the Holy Bible and not any image or likeness the enemy can present.  I pray that all will see that I place "NO OTHER GOD'S" before my CREATOR!  That is the best gift I can give!