God Instructs the People of God
Listening for God in Changing Times:
Deuteronomy 13:1-5
The Message
1-4 When a prophet or visionary gets up in your community and
gives out a miracle-sign or wonder, and the miracle-sign or wonder that he gave out happens and he says, "Let's follow other gods" (these are gods you know nothing about), "let's worship them," don't pay any attention to what that prophet or visionary says. God, your God, is testing you to find out if you totally love him with everything you have in you. You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life! 5 And that prophet or visionary must be put to death. He has urged mutiny against God, your God, who rescued you from Egypt, who redeemed you from a world of slavery and put you on the road on which God, your God, has commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from your company.
For Reflectiongives out a miracle-sign or wonder, and the miracle-sign or wonder that he gave out happens and he says, "Let's follow other gods" (these are gods you know nothing about), "let's worship them," don't pay any attention to what that prophet or visionary says. God, your God, is testing you to find out if you totally love him with everything you have in you. You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life! 5 And that prophet or visionary must be put to death. He has urged mutiny against God, your God, who rescued you from Egypt, who redeemed you from a world of slavery and put you on the road on which God, your God, has commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from your company.
"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." How long has it been since Franklin D. Roosevelt uttered these famous words? Fear motivates more human behavior than many of us would like to admit.
Spend the time over a period of a few evenings and observe how much fear is used to influence you. Television ads like "Help I've fallen and can't get up!" and much of the political rhetoric attempts to arouse your fear of impending disaster unless you accept this or that course of action. I almost always hold suspect those who appeal to fear. especially when they are experts on topics that most assuredly they tell me I know nothing about. So what do you think will happen if we stop worshiping the god of safety, the god of secure finances, the god of good health and rely solely on the God of all creation?
Who are the "visionaries" in your communities that compel you to follow other Gods?
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/ if you want to revisit FDR's inaugural address which comes on the heels of the depression.
Pray
for the wisdom to sort out the false paths from the true path. Pray to trust in God's guidance. Pray for the bold courage to follow the path that God has commanded you to walk.
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