The Bible repeatedly tells of the dangers of following other gods. Following false gods takes people away from the true God and distorts their view of themselves and others. A friend grew up in Trinidad, where his family followed pagan gods. When he was a teenager, someone shared the Good News of Jesus, and he became a believer. When he shared his faith with his family, he was severely beaten and banished from his home. But our merciful God sustained him, and he has spent his entire adult life as an evangelist telling others about Jesus. How would the lives of his family have been different if they had softened their hearts to Jesus instead of beating him?
Rebelling Against the True God
The people of Israel had seen miracles from God but were rebellious and chose to follow other gods to their detriment. 1 Samuel 8:6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt, they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.[1]
Following other gods and rebelling against God would have consequences in this lifetime and eternity. How sad it must have been for the Lord to see people He loved depart into eternity, separated from him because of their unbelief.
People don’t change; today, many chase false gods or fall away from the faith, but that is not God’s plan. Jonah 2:8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.[2]
The Blessing of Following the Lord
The blessings of following the Lord are so fantastic they are hard to put into words. As we follow the Lord, we give up our will to follow where the Lord leads us, uniquely experiencing Him. Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.[3]
As believers, Jesus blesses us with the gift of a relationship with Him. I am thankful for all the believers the Lord has put in my path who have blessed me. Let me encourage you to count all the blessings you have in life. As a believer, you are part of God’s family, now and for eternity.
To learn more about the dangers of following other gods, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-kings
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.