Not the ipad
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.
This is going to sound really weird, but I’m going to say it anyway. A while ago I was praying and I felt challenged to make sure that there was no possession in my life that I was putting ahead of God.
Well, I thought about it … and thought …no. Nothing. I mean we’d sold up and moved to a smaller house, we’d bought a cheaper car so that we could live on a ministry salary. Nope. Nothing.
But just as I was getting to feeling pretty smug, God whacked me over the head, “Would you give up your iPad? What if I asked you to give it up?”
Now, I’ve loved gadgets since I was a little boy. And these days, technology being what it is, I love using it for all sorts of things.
My iPad? No, not my iPad Lord!!! My Bible’s on it. I read books on it. I blog on it. I Tweet on it. I read the newspaper on it. I watch my favourite TV shows on it. No, no, not the iPad!
Isn’t it funny how it’s the little things that sneak up our list, without us even noticing. Often they’re good things.
Take Abraham for instance. After twenty–five years in the wilderness, believing God for a son, at age one hundred God finally, miraculously gives him Isaac. You can imagine how much he loved this boy, after all that time; how much he doted on the lad. But then, God calls him to sacrifice his son:
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
Why would God do that? To put Abraham to the test, because He knew that there was something that had floated to the top of Abraham’s list. Something that he was now putting before God.
Of course God intervened at the last minute and Isaac was saved. But an idol is anything that we wouldn’t be prepared to give up for God. Be it an iPad, or a son, or anything else. And the moment that happens, we’re in trouble. Serious trouble.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol … You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God … (Exodus 20:2-5)
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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