Personal Gods

“Your gods are as many as your cities, Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.”—Jeremiah 11:13 NASB

By the time of Jeremiah, many of God’s people had forgotten His first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). How had they done this? His Word no longer was absolute, but had been modified and reinterpreted to suit their own purposes. They were not content to serve God, but followed personal gods designed to conform to their own ideas and desires. They didn’t even feel they were doing anything wrong.

They had remade God into their own image and adapted Him to fit their personal interests and what made sense to them. They were not worshiping at His designated altar in Jerusalem but at places set up for their own convenience.

All of us can find ourselves guilty of reinterpreting God’s commands, justifying our own opinions, and ignoring His Word. This is why we need to know the Word and stay sensitive to His Spirit, so we are ready to let Him warn, correct, and teach us.

We need to submit our thoughts, actions, and beliefs to Him. We need to spend time in prayer, allowing Him to review our lives, guide our decisions, and check our motivations. Today, give God permission to search your heart and mind. Submit your life for His review. Ask Him to free you from subjective opinions and help you recognize when you might be just reinterpreting His Word incorrectly. Determine to live in ways that are pleasing to Him.

Reflection Question: What happens when you try to reinterpret God’s Word?