The Lord is a Jealous God

Then Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and sins. (Joshua 24:19)(NLT)


When we speak of jealousy among human beings, we normally consider it a vice. However, the Bible clearly describes God--who is perfectly good--as jealous. How can a good God be jealous? The answer is that God's jealousy stems from his covenant love. He has specially chosen his people and loves them so much that he is jealous when they are unfaithful to him. Unlike human jealousy, God's jealousy is not selfish. God created us to enjoy his fellowship, and he knows that our unfaithfulness will only hurt us in the end. Meditate on the ways God's jealous love keeps us from disaster.


HOLY GOD, we praise  you for your jealous love. Despite our unworthiness, you have chosen us as your people. Fill us with your Spirit so that we may serve you wholeheartedly. Help us to sever any loyalties that draw our attention away from you. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible--Tyndale House)

Ready in Season

"Be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2)


Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to "be ready" only "out of season." The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season." In other words, we should "be ready" whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we fell inspired or not.

One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, "Now that I've experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God." No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has give you.

The Lord Alone is God

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. (Deut. 6:4-5)(NLT)

Verse 4 describes the Lord as the only God of the Israelites. To know the one true God was essential for a people who were surrounded by a plethora of rival deities. We face similar challenges today as we hear the competing claims of false gods who bid for our loyalty. We may rejoice, however, that we have a personal relationship with the one true God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

O LORD, we humbly bow at your feet and worship you, for you alone are God. Although we have chosen to follow you, we confess that we are often lured away by many other gods of this world. Help us to remain faithful to you, Lord, refusing to bow before these other gods. For truly you alone are worthy of worship and praise. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible--Tyndale House)