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First Week of Advent - Thursday
December 2, 2004
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.
Psalm 118
Our Jealous God
God's first commandment is that he alone is God, and we must serve no other gods but him. This is the primordial word of our all-powerful and jealous God. It echoes down through the ages. He is our rock and our fortress, our stronghold and our deliverer. He alone is our savior. We must seek safety nowhere but in him.
Man in every age has doubted the power of God, and has chosen instead to serve false gods of every sort. He has bowed down to idols of gold and silver, of wood and clay. He has worshipped sun and moon and earth and stars. He has pledged allegiance to worldly rulers, placing his trust in men like himself who were powerless to save him.
Our age is no different from any other. We too bow down before idols of every kind, before movements and ideologies, before science and technology, before kings and presidents and warlords, before capitalists and communists and socialists, liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans. Even those who profess faith in God place their trust in these false gods. But they do not not have the power to save.
Our God is jealous of these idols because of his immeasurable love for us. He is Creator and Lord of the universe, and he knows its workings from beginning to end. He knows that the only way we can be saved is to trust him unreservedly and follow his will without compromise. He alone is our God. We must serve no other.
Lord God of the universe, we worship you as our Creator and Protector. Strengthen our faith that we may serve you with undivided heart. Send forth your Spirit into the world to subdue the forces of evil by the power of your love.
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