Day 147

Have No Idols Before God

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5).

I have developed a bad habit......I check my phone for messages, emails, and facebook posts as soon as I get up in the mornings. Then I go make the coffee and come back to check again. If I hear a ping I pick it up again and then get engaged in everyone else's post.

I am feeling convicted because I am putting social media before my time with God and even during my time with God. So I have determined to move my charger and I will try with all my might not to check my devices when I get up in the mornings until I have had my alone time with my Lord. He wants nothing to come before Him. He waits patiently for me, but I am sure is disappointed when I chose to pick up the device and become so entangled with it's contents that I delay my time with Him or allow it to interrupt our time by picking it up each time it makes a sound.

If I was attempting to have a conversation with a friend or business acquaintance I am pretty sure I would not like it if that person just stopped and answered the phone or read and responded to a text right in the middle of our exchange. As I write that thought I remember plenty of times I have had that occur. I also remember how it made me feel.

So........I will make a concerted effort to make some changes. Right now my phone is plugged in at my bedside. The devices must go to another room to avoid any temptation to check it first. I do not want anything to come before my alone time with God each morning. As I recall He calls that an idol. Ugh. An idol is anything or person who comes before God. Checking my phone had become a priority over my hearing from God.

What has become your idol? It could be your job, your family, your ministry, your relationships, or anything you find yourself putting before God. All these things can be good but if it comes before Him it is wrong. Maybe you, like me, need to do a self analysis and take steps to make a change in your routine. After all our passage for today tells us our God is a jealous God. He is jealous for our time and attention.