In verse 9, God says, “There shall be no strange gods among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.” Most of us would respond, “Well, of course I wouldn’t worship another god! Why would God even have to say this?” In our minds, we think of foreign gods as statues or icons surrounded by offerings of food or flowers. But our ‘foreign gods’ may, instead, take the form of an addiction of some sort or a political party or material wealth or projecting an image of a perfect life.
It’s all about who or what we’re going to trust. Are we going to trust those people, objects, or attitudes that leave us feeling empty, longing for more? Or are we going to trust the One who invites us to listen to God and to walk in God’s ways – the One who promises to feed us with the finest wheat and to satisfy us with honey from the rock?
What ‘foreign gods’ distract you from trusting the Spirit of God in your life? Offer each one by name in prayer and ask God to free you from them.