«That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days» Deuteronomy 30:20
BOTH THE BIBLE and the annals of Assyrian kings testify that Samaria, capital of the kingdom of Israel, was destroyed in 722 BC. The Assyrians assumed their victory lay in their military prowess, but God’s people were actually overtaken by failure because they «had sinned against the Lord their God,» they «secretly did … things that were not right,» they «left all the commandments of the Lord their God,» and they «practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger»; so «Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria» (2 Kings 17:7, 9, 16, 17, 23).
Israel was not destroyed because its enemies were more powerful; rather, the weapon that caused their destruction was their lack of faith and commitment to God. They were defeated because they put their trust in Egypt instead of the Lord. They were destroyed because they abandoned the creator God to worship images made by human hands.
One might suppose Israel learned its lesson, and its exile made its people learn who to worship; however, they continued to establish centers to worship heathen gods, and «they feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away» (2 Kings 17:33). They wanted to achieve something that the Bible itself warns us is impossible: to serve two masters.
Might we be falling into the same practice? We might say we are Christians, but in turn our love and interests are focused on other «gods» made in our image and likeness. Do we profess to love Jesus, but our will is defeated, and we end up devoting our time and lives to anything other than Christ?
If you have fallen into the temptation of living a double spiritual life, today is a good time to make the best decision: «That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days» (Deuteronomy 30:20). Don’t make the same mistake as the ancient inhabitants of Samaria: don’t claim to be able to serve two masters.
Today, you have the precious opportunity to surrender to Christ wholeheartedly and to allow Him to be your life. If you do so, the enemy will never be able to destroy you.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
