James H. Taylor was the pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Washington. There was a time when he was at a party with a lot of big wigs, including the British Ambassador.“It is an honour,” he said, “to meet the ambassador of so great a king.” Knowing Taylor was a pastor, the ambassador replied, “Ah, … Continue reading An ambassador to the King of kings
The Up Devo
God is jealous?
“You shall not bow down to [idols] or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:5)Some people are surprised when they learn that God can be “jealous.” However, it makes perfect sense.God chooses to use words that we can understand. “Jealous” is certainly one of those words. We can … Continue reading God is jealous?
A perpetual factory of idols
In yesterday’s devotional I highlighted two questions from Tim Keller’s book, Counterfeit Gods.** Today I’m going to highlight two more. They are designed to help us think about our ultimate commitments. Is God number one in our lives, or have we let something or someone else compete for the throne that only belongs to him?1. … Continue reading A perpetual factory of idols
Modern idolatry
In Exodus 20:3-4 God says: “you shall have no other gods before me.” Makes sense. After all, he is our Creator and Redeemer.He goes on to say: “You shall not make for yourself an idol…” No problem. Back in Egypt and Canaan, people crafted idols, usually out of wood or stone. They represented the deity … Continue reading Modern idolatry
No other gods before me
The first commandment is well known: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).It’s about putting God first. But we easily miss something else that is very important. It’s connected to the word “gods.”Let’s be honest. That word can make many of us uncomfortable. We know there is only one true God, the … Continue reading No other gods before me
The God-shaped hole
Blaise Pascal was a well-known mathematician. He said: “There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every person.”He wasn’t talking about a physical hole, of course, but an existential one. We have a deep, inner yearning for God. We will never find true rest until we make that connection with God.But here’s the problem. … Continue reading The God-shaped hole
You gotta know ‘em to keep ‘em
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).Andy used to have conversations with Agnes in the laundromat. They would talk about a bunch of different things. It would often come up that she kept the 10 Commandments. It was basically her way of shutting down the conversation.One day … Continue reading You gotta know ‘em to keep ‘em
Neutralized from outside sources
“They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God” (Exodus 19:2-3).The mountain in question is Mount Sinai. It’s where God gave the 10 Commandments to the people through Moses. The traditional location of the … Continue reading Neutralized from outside sources
They’re for you, but for others too
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute” (Psalm 82:3).As discussed in yesterday’s devotional, many modern people think the 10 Commandments are random. They also think of them as restrictive rules that are designed to make life worse.But when you look closely at the content and … Continue reading They’re for you, but for others too
They trigger within us the image of God
“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love…” (John 15:10)I can’t overstate the global influence of the 10 Commandments. They have shaped not only individuals, but entire societies. To a lot of people, however, they seem random. But they’re not. Amongst other things, they actually reflect God’s character. For example, we shall not murder … Continue reading They trigger within us the image of God
