None Beside Thee
Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/
By Pam Iannello (my late mother)
A ministry of New Beginnings Baptist Church @ www.nbbconline.com
How do you feel when you tell someone something and he or she
completely ignores what you say? I don't mind telling you I find it
extremely frustrating! Not to mention the fact that I end up feeling
less significant...
Exodus 20:1-3, "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord
thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Here in the first few verses of Exodus 20, God reestablishes Himself
in the hearts and minds of His people – “I am the Lord thy God.” Oh,
how we ought to begin every day by reading and meditating upon these
convicting words! What a perfect start to any day, amen? Ladies, these
are the very words that God chooses and uses to describe Himself to
us; to remind us of who He is. They were etched in stone with His very
own finger in a very personal, explicitly stated manner. It is so easy
for Christians to lose sight of the Lord, and yet, as we consider the
various situations our Creator has brought us out of, it brings even
greater grief to realize that we are so quick to forget such an
attentive God! “…which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.” I want you to lay aside your cares to
stop and ponder for a moment, the worldliness that you have escaped at
the help of the Lord. I want you to mull over the bondage that He has
lovingly rescued you from… How I would love to compile the stories you
ladies have regarding these two points and then share the accounts
among everyone to the glory and honor of God! What awe-inspiring
reading that would be for us all!
Now that we have given due attention to that which God has executed on
our behalf, let us consider the first commandment our Creator has
declared…
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
What are we commanded not to put before God? Other gods… Yes, other
people, things, or loyalties that captivate our hearts and minds are
to be placed behind the Lord, not in front of Him! How many of you
stand guilty of this first commandment today? These eight little words
force us to search our hearts and look deep within, do they not? In
them, we uncover our selfishness and are given opportunity to ask for
forgiveness. I would venture to say that a great many of God’s people
have violated this decree and misaligned their affections. How do you
think God feels when we adore things other than Him? Probably as we do
when we are disregarded – insignificant.
Psalm 81:9, “There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou
worship any strange god.”
Ladies, our Lord desires to be unique to each one of us; He is not to
be equaled! Is there anything or anyone in your life right now, which
either brings or could bring you more satisfaction than the Lord? If
so, you have placed a god before your God! Let His commandments
clearly define your true passions and then accurately prioritize them.
As one song exclaims, we must seek to honor His commands and pledge
allegiance to the Lamb! Our heavenly Father has done everything
before He has asked anything of man… Surely, He could get a positive
response from us to His first commandment! Not only is it the first,
but it is of supreme importance…
Matthew 22:36-38, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment.”
In closing, if we have a right relationship with the Lord, we should
have no problem with His commandments… Jesus said that the first one
is the greatest one; it covers our entire being – let us take it as
seriously as our God and His Son told us to. Bring your heart, your
soul, and last but not least, your mind into submission to the Lord!
Psalm 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon
earth that I desire beside thee.”
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
By Pam Iannello (my late mother)
A ministry of New Beginnings Baptist Church @ www.nbbconline.com
How do you feel when you tell someone something and he or she
completely ignores what you say? I don't mind telling you I find it
extremely frustrating! Not to mention the fact that I end up feeling
less significant...
Exodus 20:1-3, "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord
thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Here in the first few verses of Exodus 20, God reestablishes Himself
in the hearts and minds of His people – “I am the Lord thy God.” Oh,
how we ought to begin every day by reading and meditating upon these
convicting words! What a perfect start to any day, amen? Ladies, these
are the very words that God chooses and uses to describe Himself to
us; to remind us of who He is. They were etched in stone with His very
own finger in a very personal, explicitly stated manner. It is so easy
for Christians to lose sight of the Lord, and yet, as we consider the
various situations our Creator has brought us out of, it brings even
greater grief to realize that we are so quick to forget such an
attentive God! “…which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.” I want you to lay aside your cares to
stop and ponder for a moment, the worldliness that you have escaped at
the help of the Lord. I want you to mull over the bondage that He has
lovingly rescued you from… How I would love to compile the stories you
ladies have regarding these two points and then share the accounts
among everyone to the glory and honor of God! What awe-inspiring
reading that would be for us all!
Now that we have given due attention to that which God has executed on
our behalf, let us consider the first commandment our Creator has
declared…
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
What are we commanded not to put before God? Other gods… Yes, other
people, things, or loyalties that captivate our hearts and minds are
to be placed behind the Lord, not in front of Him! How many of you
stand guilty of this first commandment today? These eight little words
force us to search our hearts and look deep within, do they not? In
them, we uncover our selfishness and are given opportunity to ask for
forgiveness. I would venture to say that a great many of God’s people
have violated this decree and misaligned their affections. How do you
think God feels when we adore things other than Him? Probably as we do
when we are disregarded – insignificant.
Psalm 81:9, “There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou
worship any strange god.”
Ladies, our Lord desires to be unique to each one of us; He is not to
be equaled! Is there anything or anyone in your life right now, which
either brings or could bring you more satisfaction than the Lord? If
so, you have placed a god before your God! Let His commandments
clearly define your true passions and then accurately prioritize them.
As one song exclaims, we must seek to honor His commands and pledge
allegiance to the Lamb! Our heavenly Father has done everything
before He has asked anything of man… Surely, He could get a positive
response from us to His first commandment! Not only is it the first,
but it is of supreme importance…
Matthew 22:36-38, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment.”
In closing, if we have a right relationship with the Lord, we should
have no problem with His commandments… Jesus said that the first one
is the greatest one; it covers our entire being – let us take it as
seriously as our God and His Son told us to. Bring your heart, your
soul, and last but not least, your mind into submission to the Lord!
Psalm 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon
earth that I desire beside thee.”
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
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