A Capable Leader . . .

In almost every country, the citizens desire a capable leader. If their head of state, whatever the title might be, is not capable of leading to their satisfaction, they either revolt and throw that person out of office, or vote for a different leader.

In our country as well as in the USA, the people are often divided and what makes a leader capable. Depending on their own preferences, experiences, and personal interests, the options range across the spectrum of human abilities. The old saying, you can’t please everyone all the time, is proven true when it comes to political leaders.

What strikes me as odd is that God falls into the same category. Everyone has an idea of the ideal god, and if their ‘god’ does not match the God of the Bible, they will change the Bible rather than change their concept. This is strange because the God of the Bible is capable, more capable than anyone can imagine:

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:8–10)

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” (Psalm 115:3)

“Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” (Psalm 135:6)

“For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:15–16)

He does not need to be elected into office because He already rules the world. Like it or not, this entirely capable Leader is on the throne, sovereign, and doing all He pleases. Our problem is two-fold: we either don’t understand what He is doing, or we don’t like it because it does not fit with our personal preferences.

While the God of the universe cannot be kicked out of office or replaced in a universal sense, people who do not want Him to rule will replace Him with a ruler of their own choice, usually themselves. To this, God laughs.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’

“He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

“Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:1–12)

This passage alone raises many hackles. How can this God be feared, rejoiced in, angry and filled with wrath, yet also be a refuge? This makes no sense for those who want a ruler they can manipulate or who at least behaves in predictable ways. No one can pull the strings of a God like this God, and no one can second-guess His actions. The news media would have a fit!

^^^^^^^

Jesus, I am totally aware that only those who have taken refuge in You understand even a small bit of the Father’s will. We also can expect answers to our prayers. That is, to understand the one true God means to cease looking for a god that fits all my desires and say YES to this God who does whatever He pleases. I’m so glad that by grace You have allowed and enabled me to do that!

No other gods

The first of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). In the ancient world, this idea of other gods was confined to images made of wood or stone, or imagined mythical gods of nature, sun, moon and so on. 

These gods were considered envious and “filled with a grudge against too great prosperity” in humans. This sort of envy was a malevolent spite that filled idol worshipers with fear that their gods would react to whatever they did with wrath. Such gods were not bowed to in reverential awe but with terror, and much was done to appease them. Considering such idols, God said,

You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me…. (Exodus 20:5)

When the true God revealed Himself, first to the Jews through the prophets and then to the world through His Son, this concept of divine envy changed. The Scriptures and the testimony of those who read and believe in God’s Word, discovered that God is love. His love goes to such depth that He sacrificed His Son for our sakes, proving the wonder of it. It is in this revelation that we see the jealousy of God.

 This divine jealousy means that God will tolerate no rival. Jesus Christ makes a claim on the human heart of absolute and unconditional surrender. He tolerated abuse and everything else raised against Him, but would not concede that there is any other way to God. He alone is our Savior.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Only Jesus, no other way, no other gods. The idea of God being jealous gives me a sense of awe that is almost fear, but not quite. I realize that He is passionately jealous, but also that His desire for my loyalty is not about Himself. Instead, He is jealous for my sake, for my good. He wants the best for me and all rivals will take me away from that desire.

I think of the things people rely on instead of God. Pills for pain, booze for joy, the good life for a sense of purpose, our own wits instead of His wisdom, money and might for power, and so on. These are not idols made of silver and gold, yet they are bowed to daily as the gods of this age. Every time that I put these or anything else from the world around me in place of God, I am spurning His intense love and provoking His divine jealousy. No wonder that the mere thought of idolatry gives me a knot in my gut. God have mercy.

Choices and Service

When the alarm rings in the morning, I can choose to hit snooze or choose to get up. When I get up, I can choose to eat oatmeal or choose leftover pizza. As the day progresses, hundreds of choices appear before me. Involved in all of them is also a choice of what or whom I will serve. I claim to serve God, but how often do I move through a day without thinking whether I am or not?

After Moses led the people of God through the wilderness and into the land, He promised them, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel, summoning the elders, heads, judges and officers of Israel. As they presented themselves before God, Joshua gave them challenges from the Lord. The bottom line was this:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

While this challenge was directed toward their religious observances, it also included daily life. In other words, serving God is not only about formal ministry and worship, but also about the way His people live. Each morning when they arose, they had choices similar to mine. They had families to care for, household chores to do. Externals like the weather, and necessities like “we have to eat” might dictate some of those choices, but even when I make a meal, I can choose to do it “as unto the Lord” and with joy, or with a negative attitude.

As I read this verse, it reminds me that everyone serves someone or something. Even those who think they are their own boss are serving themselves, or their ambitions and plans, and could even be slaves to these lesser gods. How many times have I heard, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want to” from someone bound up in sin and self-serving? We have our traditional gods and even adopt the gods of the people around us.

As for this day, the hours, minutes, even seconds ahead of me will be filling with options. As the devotional writer says, choice and service are the sum total of life. Instead of operating on autopilot and doing whatever seems the easiest or the most beneficial to me, I need to check out what I choose and that my selection is all about the amazing God that I claim to serve.