Our Need to Rid Ourselves of Idols!

Reading:  Genesis 35
My Verse:  "So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.  Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone" (35:2,3).

Here is another beautiful illustration of how You, LORD God provide for your beloved.  Even though Jacob did not have the 'proper' response to the awful sin of his sons You still love him and provide for him.  As Your children we so often are like Jacob, we do not do as You would have us, as You teach us in Your word. How thankful we can be that Your love is not conditional, not dependent on how we behave.

I especially like here this idea of getting rid of idols and purification.  Jacob required his household to cleanse themselves of all idols, even to change their clothes!  This was to prepare themselves for going into the presence of You, LORD God.  How we forget Who You are!  You are a holy, mighty God. 

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings with eyes all around, even under his wings.  Day and night they never stop saying:  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8).

This brings me back to Tozer's wonderful teaching on Your holiness in the The Knowledge of the Holy.  In it he states this.

"Until we have seen ourselves as God sees us, we are not likely to be much disturbed over conditions around us as long as they do not get so far out of hand as to threaten our comfortable way of life.  We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing.  We are not disappointed that we do not find all truth in our teachers or faithfulness in our politicians or complete honesty in our merchants or full trustworthiness in our friends.  That we may continue to exist we make such laws as are necessary to protect us from our fellowmen and let it go at that." 

Oh, is that not sad?  We are 'conditioned' to sin!  Oh, LORD God, forgive me my callousness.  I so often charge into Your holy presence unthinkingly.  I forget how unclean I truly am before You.  Help me I pray to pause, to take time to put aside those idols - those things in my life that separate me from You.  How I need to take this lesson to heart.

"He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth."  Psalm 46:10

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!