Micah 4:5
The scripture for today is Micah 4:5
Micah 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
God used the exile of the Jewish nation in Babylon as a means of showing them the consequences of rebellion and disobedience. During their time of subjection to the kingdom of Babylon, they were able to see the errors of following the gods of men. Before God could restore them back to the land of promise, they had to come to a place of repentance, a place of rejecting the gods of this world and embracing once again the God who created heaven and earth.
The church, like the Jewish nation, has to a large extent been polluted by the gods of this world. No, the world largely does not worship wood and stone images per se, but the existence of pursuits absent from the acknowledgment and worship of God is pervasive in our world. The enticements of the evil one are just as real today as it has ever been. Idols of materialism, position, and fame are worshiped as surely as the ancients bowed down to wood and stone. There is no life-giving power in any of these things. We, the people of God on earth today, must come to the same position of upholding the standards of righteousness that God has given to His people throughout the ages. He has not changed. Yes, the world is changing and the gods of this world are cleverly demanding a place, a place that pushes out obedience to God's Word. But the Lord God remains the firm foundation of unchangeable character. Those who would be like Him will turn aside from the gods of men, rejecting the very notion of compromise and complicity with the agenda of the world.
"For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death." Psalms 48:14 "I will extol you, my God, O king; and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you; and I will praise your name forever and ever." Psalms 145:1-2 Thank you, dear God, for your presence, your love, your grace. "We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever."
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim