Enticed Away?

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.
Deuteronomy 11:16, NIV*

This is part of Moses’ warning to the people of Israel as they’re getting ready to enter the Promised Land. Idol worship is rampant among the nations they’re to evict, and they need to stay set apart for God.

There’s much to entice us away too: possessions, problems, pleasures…. With multi-tasking and constant communication and noise, our thoughts scatter like seed in the wind.

We forget.

Being careful takes intentional effort. Moses had some suggestions for the people that will help us too:

  • Talk about God, with our family and friends. Not to preach, in this context, but to teach our children and to encourage and remind our believing peers.
  • Visual reminders… we may not tie them to our foreheads or write them on our doorposts as Moses said, but art, jewellery, symbols are all good reminders as long as we don’t tune them out.
  • Keep God as part of each day, all day long and wherever we are. One thing I’m learning is to notice the beauty of creation around me and to remember to thank God for His gifts.

Sovereign Lord, You have called us to be a people belonging to You, and we want to be faithful. You know how easily distracted we are. We need help! Please teach us to be careful not to be enticed away. And when our focus slips, please draw us quickly back. There is no one like our God, none other worthy of worship and adoration.

Here’s a classic Keith Green song: “Draw Me.”

*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

4 thoughts on “Enticed Away?

  1. hiwaychristian

    Enticed away. Yes. And isn’t it interesting how simple a thing it is to kneel before the Father? Yet isn’t it interesting how often we find our minds balking at the idea of spending time like that in “The Faith”? Enticed away, we are. Little by little, bit by bit; until we hardly remember who we once were. Amen.

    By His Grace.

    Reply
    1. Janet Sketchley

      This post was pre-written and scheduled to post on Nov. 23. On the evening of Nov. 23 my bedtime reading from My Utmost for His Highest included this line: “It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God.” I consider myself duly spoken to!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.