“I (God) said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ …. Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped the Baals; and they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.” Judges 2:1d-3, 10-15
Life is about choices and consequences. Choose God, and obedient life with God or be disobedient, worship other gods who cannot help you since they are not real. Choose to have things or other people as gods separating from life with God. A little disobedience here, a little there leads to a great disobedience and further separation. Soon God is angry; God still loves, still pursues but the salvation God offers, the opportunity to grow with God and grow in Christ likeness is impossible until there are no other gods before me. Why do I allow, why do we as a community of faith allow ourselves and our communities to be godless lawbreaker kindling the anger of God? It’s Tuesday of Holy Week, we are deep, deep, deep into the Lenten season – choose to worship God only, prevent being plundered, close the gap return to God who waits with open arms. Oh that it may be so for myself, for all who read this and for all who have turned away. I need a Savior, we need a Savior, the country I live in needs a Savior and there is only one – Jesus Christ!