435 - 2nd Commandment

Good morning Lord - thank you for a victorious day, yesterday! We had some work difficulties - power outage, ceiling leaks, but we got it all back together and working. I got all my stuff together for TEAMKID on Wednesday, just a few more things to buy. Aerobics was the biggest night ever. I think we had close to 20 women and there were some regulars that were not there! It was great and my legs don't even hurt that bad today. After that we met at the old/new house to go over everything with the electrician. He can not start for 2 or 3 more weeks, but then says we have a lot of stuff to do... In the mean time we have hired 3 guys to be taking the wallpaper off the walls. They are doing a fantastic job and fast!!! wow!!!

My friend reminded me that I had said I was going to do a "study" on idols and I totally forgot. I guess i would think about it from time to time, but her call on it made me think what better timing. So that is briefly what I am going to do today and for a while.

The 2nd Commandment is "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." Ex. 20:4 In that verse, without dissecting it much, God is pretty clear that there should not be any idol from anywhere! Certainly not from heaven, but on earth, or even from the waters. Isn't that interesting that He had to mention from Heaven. How can anything from heaven be an idol. Oh I think it is so very easy. First of all, an idol is that which we worship, give time to, give thought to, steals our time from Him in any form or fashion - just something that takes our focus away from the Lord. SO how could we have an idol from Heaven. In churches we get so caught up in how we are going to worship and when and with what instruments, etc. We know in heaven we are going to spend a huge amount of our time in worship if not all. So we begin to prepare ourselves for that very time. Before we know it we are worshipping the act of worship instead of the Lord. WE are so head over heel with the new ways, songs, times................we lose sight of the ONE to worship!

Now worship on the earth can go on for days. Of course I talked about yesterday the worship of food and such. That is huge for so many people. I heard from so many of you through comments, but mainly offline about that too being a struggle for you. Thank you for your encouragement and honesty. Man that is one huge slap in the face to Satan. He wants us to think one of 2 things in almost every situation. 1) you are the only one that struggles with this so you better be quiet or be thought of as a fool and worse. OR 2) everyone feels this way or everyone does this so it won't be so bad when you jump in. Go ahead do it... So many women, even those like me that don't have a lot to lose, but want to get this under control............thank you for emailing your thoughts to me. I think the hardest part about this idol is that good people, well meaning people, kind, loving, sweet ones want to encourage me that I look fine. I know I don't have much change on the outside that needs to take place, but this is a heart issue. We think that because there is not 50 to lose that it can't be that serious or can't really be anything to be concerned about. That is is exactly a lie from the pit of Hell. He wants us to dismiss everything!! He wants us to belittle the situation or thoughts. Then by gollly when it is out of control satan is going to come back with a vengeance blaming, accusing, shaming, laughing, assigning guilt, etc.... he loves it when we dismiss sin and only come back to it when it gets bad. satan loves when we do the same thing with our relationship with the Lord. We ignore Him or do little with Him until it gets real bad. Then all of a sudden we rush to Him expecting a miracle when there really is no reason He should ever come through. He does sometimes and that is where I just get flattened by His grace. WOW!!!

Well, Lord, I need to get ready for the day. I am still not used to this job thing. It is very hard on me, but i am sure good for me. How do full-time working moms do it??????? I am already looking at retirement!! ha! Father, please make me aware of my idols. Help me to see those good things that can be confused as only good and not an idol. May we fight the obvious things with all our might and through your strength and power! Lord, I want nothing to stand in front of You!! I want to bow to only You and mean it!!! Lord, forgive me!! I love you!