No Other Gods Study

No Other Gods Bible Study

This is the 1st introspective study I have done in a while and boy do I need it. Nothing like a few passages of Scripture and pointed questions to make you take an honest look at yourself..

I met with friends from elementary/junior high/high school for dinner Sunday night. As we laughed and discussed the state of the world, I joked I could bring up repressed memories from our days at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School. All I had to say was milk room and Henri Irvington, for a moment they felt nauseous because the milk room always smelled like sour milk and then they laughed because Mr. Irvington was 1 strict math teacher who had a penchant for catching freshmen girls reading romance novels in his class instead of working quadratic equations. He would sneak up and snatch the book out or your hands and turn to the last page and read it out loud. We would be red with embarrassment. He returned the book at the end of the school year. (I always wondered if he read them.)

Sometimes an idol sneaks up on us and we don’t even know it. The idol can be something which starts out good and turns into an idol. It takes exposure at the risk of a red face to bring us to repentance. It takes us admitting we have an idol or idols in our life and truly turning away from them with a broken and contrite heart. We must ask the Holy Spirit to convict us regarding the idols in our life. This is what the Bible has to say about repentance:

Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

I pray I continue to cast the idols out of my life and truly repent. I want the Lord to be to restore me so that I may serve Him. I want the Lord to dine with me some day. I bet the conversation will be very interesting. I want Him to tell me about placing all the stars in the universe. I want Him to tell me about Eden when it was created. I want to know if I led anyone to Christ during a healing weekend or an encounter on the street. Did I speak His words? I want to know if He laughed when the snake got loose in my desk during Mrs. Shaw’s math class? Did He laugh when the headmaster Mr. Walters laughed until he cried when the snake got loose in his office? And though I talk to Him in prayer through out the day, I want to thank Him in person for the times He protected me from evil and He carried me in His arms during a family crisis. I also want to thank Him for my special rock in CO on the banks of the Rio Grande in my parents’ old backyard. I spent a lot of time fishing from that rock as well as reading and praying I miss that rock, but am glad for the time I had it and glad for the time I had with the Rock while I sat on it in the midst of His majestic creation.

If you are not doing the No Other Gods study, ask the Lord to reveal any idols you may have in your life. Repent. You will feel better right away, you will feel closer to the Lord, His word will be more clear.

This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!