Friend Or Foe?

Psalm 139:22(MSG)
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.  Your enemies are my enemies!


Some kind of northern mountain snake that I
 encountered on a hike...enemy of not?







Yesterday we had our first meeting of the "NOG"gin's.  This is the name that I've chosen to call our group.  I am doing a Bible study called, "No Other God's" by Kelly Minter.  The ladies and I are meeting every two weeks throughout the summer to go over our renderings and put our "heads together" for practical application.....hence the word "Noggin's". Get it?  Heads...noggins?  You better be laughing right now...

Anyway, here's what's been happening in this mind (and heart) of mine lately.  I spent most of the day Friday working with my "Southwestern Sister".  She has been assisting me with my organization on this computer.  You see.....I love to take pictures.  Anything or anyone will do.  Nature, people, weather, inanimate objects....you get the idea.  The reason I love photography so much is because it seems as though you can stop a moment in time.  Expressions and emotions captured and frozen for life on a little sheet of paper are fantabulous (not in the dictionary) to me!!  The only down side to this hobby is that it can fill up your computer really fast if you don't have a plan for storing all of these amazing shots.  Adding to that problem is my apparent inability to clear out the "clutter pictures" and other useless documents that have found their way onto my lap top.  I just keep adding more and more photos and never remove unwanted trash, all the while keeping an eye on my space as it fills dangerously close to capacity....hence the need for my sister's computer expertise! 

Cue...the slowing down of the computer.  I knew it was coming...you know the dreaded  "computer crash".  I should have heeded the warning signs.  Slower search times, longer transition to get from spot to spot after writing...you know them all.  But, I ignored every one of them.  I thought I would deal with it later....until, that is, I went to turn the computer on the other day....and I got nothing!  Absolutely nothing!  

I went straight to my computer source....my husband of course....and he said, "It looks like it's not getting any power."  I said in my most whiny voice, "But it's plugged in!!"  (See, I do know something about these little boxes.)  He said in his gravest of voices, "It's bad then...".  Uggghhhh....Not now!  What does "bad" mean anyway?  Does it mean that I have lost all of my pictures?!!  (Heart rate going up...sweat beginning to form on brow, as I envision all of those captured moments slipping from my grasp.)  Does that mean a new computer?  What?! 

I frantically started following the cord from the wall to the computer.  Connected tightly to the wall~check.  Securely inserted into the computer~check.  But, wait, isn't there a connection to the big black box "thingy" in the middle of the thick black strand that is shoved back behind my desk?  Could that be loose?  I began wildly pulling the cord up from the dark recesses of the wall.  There it was.  Nearly holding my breath I pulled it up for closer inspection.  Was it firmly secured into the box?  No!  It was loose!  It appeared to be half in and half out.  I shoved it in tight and ....tadah....presto....power!!  Yay!

What in the world does this have to do with today's verse you ask?  Here's what I'm thinking.  As I have been reflecting on the Word of God through this study, I have been reminded  that anything/anyone that steals my focus from God has the potential to become an idol in my life.  I need to guard against that.  Just like the power to my computer, if I'm not plugged in securely to Him, I will be useless to fulfill the plan that He has for my life!    Equally important, I must have room on my hard drive...errr.....I mean room in my heart for the important pictures....I mean important words from God.  I have to clear out the clutter from my spiritual life and view these "other God's" as "enemies"!  If they have the power to capture my attention more than my God, and if they crowd my heart and make it sluggish towards Him, then I don't want any part of those things.  Instead, I want to be clearly focused on God's grace and His direction on a moment by moment basis each day that I climb out of bed.

Praying today for an increased awareness of those "enemies" that attempt to steal my time and attention from God and the purposes that He has for me.

Cheap God Imitations

Psalm 139:20(MSG)
All the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations.

I don't believe in coincidences, so it is really phenomenal to me that this verse should "pop up" right now....after my little summer break.....during my regular Bible reading in Jeremiah where he is talking about the way the Israelites are chasing other "gods".  Add to this timing the fact that a dear friend of mine in my Life Group at church has orchestrated a summer Bible study titled:  NOGs...standing for "No Other Gods".  Accidental timing?  I think not!

God is not in the accident business.  I believe that He cares about me so much that He really would line all this up to bring home a wonderful message that He wants for me to hear and learn from.  Kind of sounds a little selfish I know...but I draw that conclusion after reading the beginning of Psalm 139 where David describes a God just like this.  He says in verse 139:5: "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."  If He is laying His hand upon me, then most assuredly He is lining up some good words to teach me!  

So...about today's verse...it says right before in 139:19 for people like this to "get out!!"   There is no room or place for belittling God...yet, it is so rampant in our society today...sadly.  What is even more intriguing to me, however, is the part about choosing other god-imitations.  I'm thinking that a little pondering about who I'm serving is probably in my future.  Just a little reality check and housekeeping to be sure that who I say I serve....is actually who is getting the majority of my time and focus.

Praying tonight for an exciting summer journey through the "NOGs" Bible study.  (No Other Gods: Confronting our modern day idols by Kelly Minter).  You can purchase this study on line or at your local Christian book store if you want to check it out!