The Only Real Choice

 

1 Kings 18:21 (NRSVue) - Elijah then came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal.

Of course, he knew that God would triumph over those who followed false gods.

But before the contest took place, Elijah spoke those words to the people.

He knew the people had drifted from God.

These words were a caution that you cannot serve God and false gods.

In Matthew 6, Christ taught the disciples how to pray.

He also gave them cautionary instructions.

One of these concerned serving two masters, namely God and wealth.

Matthew 6:24 (NRSVue) - “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

God is, and always has been, supreme.

He expects to be first in our lives.

Moreover, He commanded this.

Exodus 20:2-4 (NRSVue) - “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. 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.”

The simple fact is that anytime we place anyone or anything above God, we practice idolatry.

We rob God of His rightful place in our lives.

When that happens, God asks us to choose.

Choice is a part of life.

But correctly choosing Who has priority is crucial.

It requires commitment.

It requires loyalty.

People and things constantly vie for our attention and affection.

But we must choose to put God first.

Fortunately, God helps us choose wisely when we make ourselves open and available to Him.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, February 2, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, February 9, 2024

The Light of His Love

Isaiah 60:3 (NRSVue) - Nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

In this chapter, the prophet speaks of the gathering of the people. 

After a period of darkness, the Lord would arise and dispel it.

The author of Revelation also writes of the Lord and the dispelling of darkness.

He first writes of a new heaven and a new earth.

He then writes of the new Jerusalem.

It will have no need of man-made nor artificial light.

In fact, it will not even need the sun nor the moon to provide its light.

The light of the Lord will illuminate it!

Revelation 21:23-24 (NRSVue) - And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

The headlines of today paint a dark and gloomy picture of our world.

But we have no need to fear this darkness.

The light of the Lord is more than capable of overcoming it!

His light can penetrate even the darkest corners of our world.

His light can even penetrate the darkest corners of our hearts.

With His help, we can walk in that light.

We benefit from his grace and mercy.

We bask in the light of His love for us and all of humanity.

And, if we but make ourselves available to Him, we can reflect that light to those around us.

Then they too can bask in the light of His love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, January 19, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, January 26, 2024