2 Chronicles 13:10 Who Is Your God?

As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. 2 Chronicles 13:10

Throughout the world there are many different religions that worship many different gods. Some of these are completely unseen gods, while others are made into forms of statues. In some nations people are required to worship a certain god, while in most nations people are allowed to choose which god they want to have.

Abijah told Jeroboam that he and his people have God as their God and that they have not forsaken Him, and that the sons of Aaron and the Levites assist them in serve God.

Following the gods of the world is following a dead lead. There is no life in those gods, and they cannot do anything for anyone. Anyone relying upon those gods will be disappointed and will lose in the end.

While the world believes in many gods, believers are to believe in and serve only God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the giver of all life. However, just believing in God does not provide what one needs in this life. Many have chosen to forsake God and not fully obey His commands. They dabble in the ways of the world and follow false gods when it is convenient and goes their way.

Those who truly believe in God will serve and obey Him in every area of their lives. They will not choose to forsake Him when things are tough, or under peer-pressure, or when presented a false god. Believing in God this way will give one assurance and strength in times of trouble, because He is alive and is a helper.

You will be tempted by the world to follow false gods, or to put things or people above God. The world will strive to get you to believe in other gods or things to take the place of God.

Focus your heart and life upon God and His word. Obey His commands and serve Him. Do not allow yourself to forsake Him and walk away from Him and disobey His commands. God will never leave you, nor forsake you. He is the only one true God that is alive, unlike the false gods of this world.

Make God the God of your whole life, not just on Sundays or when things are rough.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will serve God alone; that you will never forsake God and His commands; that you will obey all of God’s commands; and that you will tell the world about God.

2 Chronicles 12:8 Being Taught A Lesson

They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands. 2 Chronicles 12:8

Difficulties come into people’s lives on a regular basis. Sometimes those difficulties are there to teach a person some concept that he does not appear to have learned yet.

Judges hand down jail sentences or work sentences in order to get the person to realize that following the law is better than the alternatives. The purpose is to guide the person back into the right way of living.

Due to the sins of Israel, God sent Shishak, king of Egypt, in to take enslave the Israelites. He did this so that the people would learn the difference between having to serve Him or a foreign king.

Believers are supposed to serve God above self and others. However, many believers often choose to do things that others want or that they personally want above what God has called them to do.

Sometimes God, in His great wisdom, will allow the person to do what he wants, but will also hand him over to the enemy to be taught a lesson. Life will suddenly turn very difficult, and one will lose the favor of God in his life. Instead of having the peace and joy in serving God, one will have trouble serving the world.

The world will hand out condemnation focused on destroying the believer, rather than building him up. During that time, people often hit rock bottom and realize what they have done. At that point they turn their eyes back up to God and begin to serve Him once again.

Rather than rejecting God, believers need to serve God regardless of how easy or difficult it is. He brings life, not death as the world does.

There may be times when you do not really want to continue to serve God. It may look better to serve the world. Do not allow yourself to buy into the lies of the world and reject God. He may hand you over to be taught a lesson on who is better to serve.

Keep your focus upon serving God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. He will give you life abundantly, greater than the world will ever be able to supply. Do not be a slave to the world, but to God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will serve God with your whole life; that you will not reject God’s commands in your life; that God will not have to hand you over to serve the world; and that you will know the abundant life God has for you.

1 Samuel 7:4 Get Rid Of The Baals

So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. 1 Samuel 7:4

Most people in the world look at certain things or principles as what made them successful or gave them a good life. In the process of doing this, these things are often idolized and looked up to as being great and powerful.

Often people will then give their everything to these things, giving complete control over to these things to the point of worship. As this is done, they will rarely be willing to give it up for anything else.

As the Israelites were being captured by the Philistines, Samuel told the people what they must do. All the people chose to get rid of their Baals and Ashtoreths and serve God alone.

Although most people do not have physical idols that they physically bow down to and worship, they do have many idols in their life. People have things that they are willing to give all of their thoughts, time, money and energy to get, have and keep. Whole lives are dedicated to having these things, which then become an idol.

Believers can sometimes allow some of these idols in their lives to take the place of God. Instead of fully trusting God in every situation, believers will take on the world’s idols and trust those idols, pushing God to the side.

True believers will recognize this as idol worship and remove it from their lives, regardless of the cost. God is the only one that should be served. Everything that a believer does should be done out of honor and desire to serve, worship and honor God.

As the believer serves God alone, God will deliver him from the hands of the enemy.

The world is out to get you to turn away from God and serve their false gods. These false gods of the world will look good and enticing, but will only bring about captivity and death. Choose to serve God alone in every area of your life.

Seek God’s Holy Spirit to reveal to you any false gods that you have allowed in your life and remove them. Cast out anything and everything that takes your attention away from God. He, alone, is to be served and worshipped.

Put God on the throne of your life, allowing Him to be complete Master over your entire life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will serve God alone; that God will reveal any false gods in your life; that God will give you strength to cast out any false gods in your life; and that you will trust God with your whole life.

1 Samuel 1:28 Given Over To God

“So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshipped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:28

People often desire an item or thing that they really want and will do extensive things to get it. When someone finally gets that thing he has desired his whole life, he usually does not want to give it up to someone else.

It now belongs to him, and his desire is to keep it to himself for his own use, purpose and pleasure, not to be given away.

Elkanah had prayed to God for a son and was blessed with one, whom she named Samuel. Once he was born, she gave Samuel to the Lord for service in the temple all his life.

Giving up something that one has finally received, that has been desired for many years is very difficult. People are greedy and want things to themselves for their own use, not to be given away.

There are many things that people ‘need’ in this life to live, but the greatest thing that one needs is life itself. Seeking this life is often searched for in temporary things and pleasures that the world offers. Often those things are through sin.

Although living in sin appears to be life and enjoyable, it is not. Sin only brings about disappointment and eventually death.

At the moment a person chooses to repent and believe in Jesus, his sins are removed, and he is given life. This life that is given is not just for his pleasure, but to be given back to God for His use.

Every believer is to give the life he has been given completely over to God to serve God in this world.

Everything that God has given you has been given to you for you to use to build you up in Jesus and do His work on this earth. Nothing is given to you by God for your own personal selfish use, but to build His kingdom.

God is more than willing to show you how to serve Him with your life. He can open doors to reach this world with the salvation message to build his kingdom on this earth.

Take the greatest thing God has given you, your life, and give it back to Him. Serve and worship God with all of your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the life God is giving you; that you will serve God with your whole life; and that you will use what God has given you for His glory and purpose; and that you will be completely given over to God for His use.