Daily Devotional for Thursday, October 20 

Revolving Door of Idolatry

As the old Hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing says, “Prone to wander Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” These particular words of this old Hymn seem to be the theme song for many members in the Lord’s New Testament churches in this present age. Their actions demonstrate that being faithful to the Lord does not help them advance in this world. The things done for Christ will last. 

God had been faithful to Israel and blessed them with cities they did not build and gardens they did not plant. The people of Israel would start out in faithfulness to God, then before long they were headlong into idolatry and rebellion against God. God would shower His punishment and wrath upon the people Israel until they would repent. Then again, a season of faithfulness to God for just a little while. 

As we read how the generations of Israel revolved between faithfulness and rebellion, we could tend to render a judgmental sentiment toward their failings. Yet, we hold no ground to condemn them on the matter. We too revolve between faithfulness and rebellion just like God’s people of old. Our sinful flesh is prone to wander from God in times of comfort then return to God in haste when we feel the pain of our sin. 

Considering Israel’s unfaithfulness and taking in to count our own inability to totally surrender to God, we can identify with the apostle Paul as he declared “O wretched man that I am” (Romans 7:24).

REFLECTION: Though mankind is continually unfaithful to God, God is ever faithful to forgive and restore the wandering Christian. 

Steven Ridings