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None Before Him :: Deeper Devotion
None Before Him
by Glenn Ansley
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before Me.
How is it that we so easily ignore the most obvious of God’s commands? Is it due to our lack of understanding or is it nothing more than outright disobedience? How is it that the Lord can tell us to have no other gods before Him, and yet, we regularly esteem our selfish desires and sins as much more important than Him?
We profess to love no one greater than the Lord but our lifestyles speak louder than our words. We regularly sing songs of praise and worship but fail to place any sincerity behind that which we sing. How can we stand before the One who knows all and sing words like, “I will seek you first Lord / You will hear our voices / Early in the morning and late in the night / We will sing Your praises / Giving you the glory / Offering our lives to you a holy sacrifice / May our praises rise as incense / Oh Lord, to you / May our worship be a fragrance…” How can we possibly sing these words, return to our sin, and not experience a great sense of fear?
Our generation has placed so many gods ahead of the one true Lord that not even the “godly” comprehend the magnitude of their sin. Among our gods are food, work, friends, family, church, music, sports, and any other priorities that are placed in front of the Lord. When I hit the snooze button on Tuesday mornings, knowing that I will be forced to rush to class and miss my time with the Lord, I have placed sleep before my God. By remaining in bed I profess to the King of Kings that, “Another hour of sleep will be more beneficial to my day than an hour with Him.” I have transformed sleep into a greater god than the Lord. Furthermore, countless young men and women turn to horoscopes, astrology, and mystical religion as a “complementary” source of wisdom and understanding. Such activities are detestable to the God of the Bible and a transgression against His First Commandment.
So how do we overcome such engrained habits as the ones mentioned above? I challenge you to spend time in the Bible. How will you know what is forbidden by your God if you fail to read what He has written? I might add that while searching the Scriptures for what He requires of you, you thereby honor Him with your time. The more time you spend before the true God, the less time you will have to spend before false gods. I challenge you to honestly seek Him first before promising Him in a song that you will… actions are so much louder than words.
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By Glenn Ansley, April 23, 2007
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November 20th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I loved this article, I often wonder what has happened to us as christians that we don’t have a longing desire to be with the Lord on a daily basis. We get so caught up in the things that we think we need to do and forget what God has planned for us to do.
November 20th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Man, the Lord will not allow me to escape this passage. Probably because I desperately need it. Malachi is due to be born on Saturday and I’ve made it no secret that I think God should tell him to come soon. As in NOW (yesterday being even better). I’ve tried almost every homegrown labor starter known by old wives and have been extremely frustrated that nothing has worked. Sunday He hammered me with how I keep on telling Him what is best for my life and that He doesn’t know what He’s talking about. I was deeply convicted that I had been doing everything on my own power and not relying on God to carry me through. Hebrews 13:5-6 “5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:
“ The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”[b]
November 20th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I am new to christianity and this is going to sound funny but when you spend time with the lord in the morning, what are you supposed to do?
November 21st, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Hi Nikki,
Thanks for your comment. That’s a good question. Time with the Lord is good, regardless of when you spend it. Scripture shows us that Jesus often spent time with God in the mornings. He would pray for the people around Him, for God to be glorified in the world, and for the salvation of the lost. You might also find it helpful to read or memorize scripture during this time. In short, don’t hold to the idea that there is a specific thing you must do. I often journal because that helps me to keep focused and do many of the things mentioned above. Hope that helps!