Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
A place in your heart that is only for Him S29e12 Dt4:15
When our hearts go out to something that the Lord would have reserved for himself only, it is called idolatry. The Lord feels strongly about this. We should too. There are affections, treasures, connections, energy, time, and devotion due only to Him.
There is a place in your heart that is only for Him. Today, we'll see it and defend it together.
https://youtu.be/SpXUvf-0910
A place in your heart that is only for Him S29e12 Dt4:15
1. When our hearts go out to something that the Lord would have reserved for himself only.
a. Reminds me of a marriage where a spouse has an affair with one who is not their spouse. We say: NO, that was to be reserved for the spouse. Those affections, those treasures, the connection , the energy, the time, the devotion, was due the spouse alone.
Idolatry Forbidden
15 “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. 22 For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land. 23 Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 “When you father children and children’s children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
Dt. 4 describes the Lords character and the Lord’s intent.
There is a place in your heart that is only for Him
Don’t make yourself an idol: don’t make a form of human, animal, bird, fish or creeping thing or celestial body whose likeness you serve.
Don’t be drawn away
Don’t bow down
Don’t serve them
Idolatry is where we make good things the ultimate thing
Thing: nature, money, relationshiop, children. Health. All good things
And make the ultimate thing, God, deprioritize
Serve Him wholeheartedly. Devoted.
Tendency to put other things first: let the non-main things be main thngs
Let things that are often good become the ultimate things
He has made you a people of HIS inheritance,
unique relationship of intimacy and purpose and calling
Serve the one true God.
Remember His reality: He brought you out of Egypt
Made you a people of His own inheritance
Gives you a land that you are to possess
Take care; be careful
Don’t forget the covenant of the Lord your God
The Lord your God is a consuming fire: He feels very stongly about this: second command
Consequences of idolatry; acting corruptly
It will be viewed as evil
It will provoke Him to anger, righteous anger
You will perish from the good land that I am giving you
You will bring destruction upon yourself
You will be driven out and be scattered
Ie: if you practice idolatry, you will be turned over to an idolatrous nation to practice idolatry, to see that there are no other gods, to eventually turn back to the Lord, searchafter Him, obey Him, find Him
And, because He is a God of His promises, will not forget you but be merciful on you
There you will turn 29But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
2. Falling into idolatry is EASY. We are of particular inclination to do so
Fire, jealousy, the discipline of punishment is “in fact the language of love”
3. God feels stronger about this that we do. It is #2 commandment of the 10 commandments.
4. The offense of idolatry is worse than we see. May You Lord give us eyes to see it. When our hearts go out to something that the Lord would have reserved for himself only.
a. Similarly, let’ us raise our awareness, our sensitivity and our outrage to match God’s outrage against a violation of the place and the devotion that we owe Him. Cannot underestimate the importance of the place in our hearts that He has made for ONLY HIM.
b. What might be higher than priority to your relationshiop with God: Look at your checkbook, your time spent, and your especially your emotion
Negative: DON’T let our When our hearts go out to something that the Lord would have reserved for himself only.
Positive: Lets fashion our heart to only deviontion to our only Lord. Give Him what only He deserves. Serve Him wholeheartedly.