“You shall have no other gods before me." Deuteronomy 5:7

"No other" is pretty clear, yet this one of the ten commandments is commonly misunderstood. Placed first in the list of ten you must assume it is first for a reason. But what does God mean by "other gods?" I assume what enters your mind is an ancient form of an object, image, or animal erected for worship. And while this depiction is correct, it's not the only form of "other gods." A god can also be any thing that we adore, admire or honor above the one God. So this means that any property (i.e., money, cabin, or motorcycle), person (i.e., boss, leader, or pastor), or philosophy (i.e., process, approach, or method) can become an "other god."  Throughout the Bible, God refers to the adoration of anything "before him" as idolatry. What's even more interesting is that the concept of idolatry is closely related to adultery which captures the spirit and the force of this first command. “You shall have no other gods before me."

Stop the idolatry. Discontinue adultery. God is looking for a single commitment from his man. He wants no thing to impede your relationship with him.

DO THIS: Be fully committed.

PRAYER: God, may I be entirely devoted to you today. Remove the idols before they turn to adultery. Reinstate my commitment to you and you alone.