Isaiah 44:6-8…“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” vs. 6
As the prophet brought the word of the Lord to the exiles in Babylon, he was well aware that there was an abundance of visible gods for the people to choose among. There was a well established pantheon of deities with Marduk as their chief. Temples for worship were everywhere and statues of the gods proliferated, some even fashioned for use in the home.
But the Israelites, for the most part, were resistant to the influence of those gods, primarily because the prophets kept reminding them that their God was infinitely superior. Their allegiance is remarkable, especially when we consider that the Lord was invisible and was not represented by any object of wood, bronze, or clay. They worshipped a god who no one could see–and their faith was unshakable.
As followers of Jesus we have those same convictions. While it is true that some churches have statues of Mary, Jesus, and the apostles, these are not our gods. Like Jesus we worship the God who is first and last, the alpha and omega of all that exists. In fact Jesus tells us that God is unknowable, that God’s presence is greater than we can possibly understand.
Jesus also told us that the essence of God is love, and that is our consolation. Because in the crunch love is how we can experience God. And ultimately, that’s all we need.
Thought for the Day: Where do I experience Love?
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