Why praise the gift when you can praise the loving Giver?!?
Today, as I spent some time alone with God in the laundry room, I studied Deuteronomy 4.
Deuteronomy 4:19 says, "And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."
Can you say kick in the FACE!?! Is Moses saying that the stars and the moon and the sun, absolutely astounding gifts from God, could ever be worshiped in the place of God? It doesn't seem to make too much sense to me to worship things that I know and recognize were God's creation. But how often do I recognize that my education, my computer, my family, and many other things in my life are simply God's blessings in my life, in the same way that the heavens are a gift from God that He "has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven".
I think that, to the Israelites, Moses said this so that they would not be tricked into physically worshiping the stars and the sun instead of God. That they would not be led to accidentally serve the beauty that they saw daily instead of the One who gave them that beauty daily. Translated to my own life in present day, I sincerely doubt that I will begin to serve the stars tomorrow because I cannot look up at the sky without seeing God's gift and wanting to serve Him. But there are blessing that exist in my life that I often find myself working hard to serve, sometimes instead of spending time being thankful for them to my Father.
I don't think that I prayed as much this past week as I often do. I try to pray continuously but, this past week, I was so bogged down in higher education that I often felt as though I was becoming a slave to my Chemistry homework, to my Spanish mid-term, and to my Nursing paper. When I read this verse, "beware lest you...be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven"(Deuteronomy 4:19), I was convicted that I need to spend more time bowing down and being grateful to my Father who has given me this opportunity to get an education and to be a light on this campus for Him! In all my studies and my stress this past week, I don't remember more than a couple of times that I stopped the school work to really serve the Lord in the midst of it all. The times I do remember were beautiful and did bring me closer to Him. I don't want to become someone who worships the education instead of realizing that God gave me this education, not so that I would seek it more than Him, but so that I would feel His loveing face shine upon me. Psalm 67:1 "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us."
This coming week, I will try to remember this verse and look for opportunities, that truly are all around me, to seek and serve and be grateful to the Lord. I want to be thankful for the blessings not to the blessings.
Father God, let me see you in all You have given, because I know You are in all you have given!
Deuteronomy 4:19 says, "And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."
Can you say kick in the FACE!?! Is Moses saying that the stars and the moon and the sun, absolutely astounding gifts from God, could ever be worshiped in the place of God? It doesn't seem to make too much sense to me to worship things that I know and recognize were God's creation. But how often do I recognize that my education, my computer, my family, and many other things in my life are simply God's blessings in my life, in the same way that the heavens are a gift from God that He "has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven".
I think that, to the Israelites, Moses said this so that they would not be tricked into physically worshiping the stars and the sun instead of God. That they would not be led to accidentally serve the beauty that they saw daily instead of the One who gave them that beauty daily. Translated to my own life in present day, I sincerely doubt that I will begin to serve the stars tomorrow because I cannot look up at the sky without seeing God's gift and wanting to serve Him. But there are blessing that exist in my life that I often find myself working hard to serve, sometimes instead of spending time being thankful for them to my Father.
I don't think that I prayed as much this past week as I often do. I try to pray continuously but, this past week, I was so bogged down in higher education that I often felt as though I was becoming a slave to my Chemistry homework, to my Spanish mid-term, and to my Nursing paper. When I read this verse, "beware lest you...be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven"(Deuteronomy 4:19), I was convicted that I need to spend more time bowing down and being grateful to my Father who has given me this opportunity to get an education and to be a light on this campus for Him! In all my studies and my stress this past week, I don't remember more than a couple of times that I stopped the school work to really serve the Lord in the midst of it all. The times I do remember were beautiful and did bring me closer to Him. I don't want to become someone who worships the education instead of realizing that God gave me this education, not so that I would seek it more than Him, but so that I would feel His loveing face shine upon me. Psalm 67:1 "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us."
This coming week, I will try to remember this verse and look for opportunities, that truly are all around me, to seek and serve and be grateful to the Lord. I want to be thankful for the blessings not to the blessings.
Father God, let me see you in all You have given, because I know You are in all you have given!
this is why we are friends. thanks for calling me and telling me about this realization. i absolutely, positively love our phone calls..but not as much as i love the Creator that blessed us with each other & the phone calls. :)
ReplyDelete<3 Paige
Hannah - I knew you when you were just a little girl and now you have grown up to be so prophetic! Your passage allows me to recall the wise words of Maya Angelou - "be present in all things and be grateful for all things..." I breathe that saying in and out daily. Much love and peace to you in Christ... your friend,
ReplyDeleteKate McGregor Mosley