When I study God’s Word, I try to see a few things.
Where is God in the middle of what I am reading? What is being revealed about His character? What is he asking or commanding? We all like to think the Bible is a reflection of us. It is and it also reveals the character of God. When I started to study the 10 COmmandments, I realized that each commandment reveals a characteristic of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus was a perfect human that reflected God. So each of the 10 Commandments are more than just Thou shall not…
3 Do not have other gods besides me. Exodus 20:30
At the time Moses received the 10 Commandments, the Israelites had just been freed from more than 200 years of being slaves to Egypt. Egypt was very well known for practicing polytheism. They had a god for everything. If you wanted your crops to produce, you prayed to the rain god. If your animals to produce more, you prayed to the fertility god. There was a god for every aspect of life in Egypt. If you wanted something you had to give something to these gods.
God’s rule was radically different. All of God is going to be radically different than what is in the world. God called His people to be completely dependant upon Him and only Him. God had demonstrated He is dependable. Through the 10 plagues He defeated every single Egyptian god.
The message from God was loud and clear: These gods are weak. I (God) alone am worthy of praise and trust. I (God) will take care of you. Depend upon me (God).
This points us to Jesus. Jesus shows He is more powerful than sin and death. Through Jesus, sin and death were defeated by His own death and resurrection. We, as God’s children, can depend on the sure hope that He will someday return to get rid of sin and death completely. There is no one else we should depend upon and nothing else we should depend upon! John 14 gives us great revelation of this!
Depending upon Jesus should be simple, right? We all struggle at times. When something bad happens, we are tempted to depend on ourselves. We reach for control and bitterness and isolation and shut God out. In times of trouble, God invites us to bring our heart and laments to Him. We are invited to lay our false pride down and praise Jesus for His good gifts.
God wants us to depend upon Him because He alone is the only One who has the power to take care of us. Lifeless idols like pride, self-sufficiency, and fear will all fail us but the living God will never fail!
Today I encourage you to read Psalms 46.
Who do you honestly depend upon?
What are some of the ways God has shown you, you can depend upon Him? These can be examples in His word, personal testimony, or the testimony of others.
How does depending upon Jesus make us free?
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Part 1: God’s Holiness Revealed
Part 2: Depending on God
Part 3: Image of God
Part 4: What is in a Name?
Part 5: Resting in God
Part 6: Lifelong Honor
Part 7: Living in Unity
Part 8: Following a Faithful God
Part 9: Work and Generosity
Part 10 Honest Justice
Part 11: Transformed Hearts
It Starts Small 
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