“This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and, in their hearts, turned back to Egypt.” (Acts 7:37-39)
The Holy Spirit, present in the angel from Mt. Sinai, spoke through Moses telling the Israelites about Jesus. Moses received wisdom that made him a prophet who pointed to Jesus and received a tablet with the Ten Commandments from God, but the Israelites rejected Moses and Jesus as they rejected all prophets because the Jewish leaders were jealous of them.
So what happened when the Israelites rejected Moses? Their hearts turned back to Egypt. They rejected God and His commandments and worshipped multiple gods they thought would benefit them.
The same thing happens when we reject Jesus. We reject His commandment to love everyone, and we worship violence and abortion since we justify them in the name of systematic racism and women’s rights. Or we worship money, status, and/or possessions. Actually, we worship ourselves because we want to be God. In doing so, we lose our life’s purpose, and we and our nations plummet.
Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your unconditional love that You never withdraw when I make mistakes. Help me worship only You and extend Your love to those who have wronged me. Convict me when I worship things or ideas that did not come from You. Remind me to be humble and love always so you can work through me. I pray in Jesus’ precious name, amen.
We reject Jesus and God when we make other things more important than they are. Sometimes we worship “things”. I would love to buy that TV, house, car etc. It is normal to want things but I believe that we cross the line when it takes over our thought patterns. There is a difference between need and want. I don’t need anything. I have plenty of clothes, I have a car, I have food in my freezer and pantry, and I have a home. I want to get new living room furniture. I have been saying that for awhile but I never seem to get to it. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with wanting the furniture. If I am thinking about the furniture all the time and I become obsessed about it then I am putting too much importance in the wanting of a material item. I don’t think that is healthy or what God wants us to do.
Thanks for your comment. I think you hit the nail on the head. God wants us to have nice things as any father does so we can entertain angels and be happy. He wants us to have enough money to pay our bills and help others. You’re right. It’s only when we crave things more than we crave God that we are not following His commands. It is even okay, I think, to pray for things we want because that shows we depend on God for every good gift. I prayed for you today. Blessings, Jody