Daily Devotional
What Do You Value More than God?
“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Exodus 20:3-6
January 14, 2024
Ponder This
Do you know what an idol is? An idol is a magnified sinner. People take their worst vices of war, greed, lust, and pride, and make gods out of them. People make gods out of their vices, then they worship their vices by participating in them. The sinner molds the idol and then the idol molds the sinner.
You may say, “But, Adrian, this is the United States of America, and we don’t have idols here.” Who are you kidding? What is an idol? An idol is anything a person loves more, fears more, serves more, or values more than God. For example, the Bible says people are, “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God,” in 2 Timothy 3:4. We exchange the glory of Almighty God for these kinds of things. And we’ve learned the way of the heathen through idolatry.
- Why is it important to take idols seriously?
- What are some things that can be idols that are not carved images?
Practice This
Consider what may be an idol in your life according to the definition, “anything you love, fear, serve, or value more than God.”
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
