Take a Minute -- Saturday, 5/8/10 -- GOD TOLERATES NO RIVALS - Deuteronomy 6:15

[J.R. & Bonnie Ricks]

 

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 GOD TOLERATES NO RIVALS – Deuteronomy 6:15 NIV

 

“…for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.”

 

For years now, you've worked hard, and your salary is okay, but you are by no means rich.  You have to budget carefully to have money for your normal bills, plus have a little extra.  You've been honest, forthright, and Christian in all of your dealings, but the company you work for just doesn't pay that well.  One day, you are approached by another company with a job offer.  The salary is much higher than the one you are currently making, and the benefits are better.  However, upon investigation of the company, you find that there are many internal policies that are rather shady... not illegal, but very unethical.  In order to succeed with the company, you would have to conform to the company policies... at least in appearance.  You ponder on the question and have just about decided to turn down the job offer when some unexpected expenses arise that you know you will never be able to meet on your current salary.  The new job would cover those expenses, with money to spare.  Do you rationalize the situation, convincing yourself that you can maintain your Christian witness (or even imagine yourself converting the whole company, President to mail room, to Christ!) ... or do you trust God...

 

You’ve been unemployed for quite a while, struggling to just keep a roof over your family’s heads and food on the table.  You get a small free-lance job that pays you $250.  Not much, but definitely more than you had before you did the work.  It’s Monday when they  pay you for the work, and you immediately write out a check for $25 to the church, and stick it in your wallet to put in the collection plate the coming Sunday.  When Sunday comes, though, all of the remaining $225 is gone – having paid a couple of small bills, and bought some food and gasoline.  The $25 that is represented by the check in your wallet is all the money you have.  What do you do?  Tear up the check, promising yourself you’ll try to replace it later on? … or do you trust God…

 

Our Lord does not tolerate rivals.  Time after time, He has shown us that when we compromise our Christian walk and witness in favor of the world, whatever we are involved in will fail - work, relationships, marriages, you name it.  God will not bless anything where He is given the second seat.

 

If you’ve been rationalizing God out of situations in your life, stop.  Keep Him number one, where He belongs… 

 

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