Hold Fast to God

Acts of Worship
Awe of God

Make a Joyful Noise

Deuteronomy 13:1-10  The Message

13 ^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.
^6-10 And when your brother or son or daughter, or even your dear wife or lifelong friend, comes to you in secret and whispers, “Let’s go and worship some other gods” (gods that you know nothing about, neither you nor your ancestors, the gods of the peoples around you near and far, from one end of the Earth to the other), don’t go along with him; shut your ears. Don’t feel sorry for him and don’t make excuses for him. Kill him. That’s right, kill him. You throw the first stone. Take action at once and swiftly with everybody in the community getting in on it at the end. Stone him with stones so that he dies. He tried to turn you traitor against God, your God, the one who got you out of Egypt and the world of slavery.

 
For Reflection
How many attempts to lure you to some other "gods" do you observe in a single day?  The gods of good health?  The gods of possessions?  The false gods who advocate hate as a path to peace. The gods of fear that warn of inevitable disaster unless you turn from a just, righteous and forgiving path?  These are the gods who enslave you.  These are the gods that lure you into a sinful life apart from the living God. 

While I'm confident that I would not advocate violence against those who would lure you from God, I would advocate that you purge the evil god mongers from your company.  Close your ears to the preachers of hate.  Close your eyes to the paths of self righteousness.  Open your hearts to the offer of freedom from fear, death and destructive action.  Live in and for God.

Pray

that you will have the wisdom to quell the voices of false gods.  Pray for the courage to follow a God-centered life in the midst of the tyrannies of modern life.