This evening my sister handed me her camera wondering why it did not work. She just put new batteries inside and yet it was dead. I checked to see if she had the batteries in the right direction. (I have made that mistake a few times in life.) But she had done it correctly. After fussing with it for a while I decided to get another set of new batteries and bingo everything came to life. It works. The new batteries she had used were dead.
As I held the batteries in hand I remembered a marvelous passage in Jeremiah. He is taunting his people about serving useless Gods. He wrote, “Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Metal smiths are put to shame by their idols. Their statues are false gods. They can’t breathe. They are worthless jokes.” Jeremiah 10:14-15.
At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God tells us not to have anyother gods before Him. When I was young and ignorant I thought this was indicative of God’s egotism. Later I understood the real reason He commands us not to do that. Other gods are as powerless as those batteries. Once again God’s wisdom reigns. He tells if we are hungry don’t go over there because there is nothing over there to eat. “Come to me. I am the bread of life. Don’t go over there if you are thirsty. I am the water that satisfies forever.”
We serve such a practical loving God. His commandments are there to protect us and to help us avoid major pitfalls. Only He is power and life. Don’twaste yourself any other place.
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 3, 2008.
Cliffs of Moher photograph by FX Extreme.
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574