photo #3096682

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying,2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of ]slavery.3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.--- Exodus 20:1-3The Israelites had just come from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and believe in him, that wasn’t so hard for them---He was just one more god to add to the list. But when he said “You must not have any other god but me,” that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they didn’t learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his people---no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus, God made this his first commandment.Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.--- Life Application Study Bible notesPRAYERDear Heavenly Father,Thank you for Your Word of truth and encouragement.I praise You for Your faithfulness despite many of our failings.Today, You are still the same God who brought Israelites our of slavery from Egypt. May I never forget You are the God who keeps His promises to thousands of generations.Teach me to be obedient and serve You with an undivided heart.I offer myself to be Your instrument to fulfill You will.In Jesus’ name Amen