Day 6: No Other God
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: "I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of His servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers…" (Isaiah 44:24-26).
Sovereign Lord, You are the everlasting God, the One who testifies of Himself: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9). You have made it quite clear, "I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols" (Isaiah 42:8).
You made it clear to the magicians of Egypt, who ultimately declared to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God," when their secret arts could no longer match all the wonders [You performed] among the Egyptians through Moses (Exodus 3:20, 8:18).
You made it clear to the prophets of Baal when You responded to Elijah's challenge to the people, “The god who answers by fire—he is God” (1 Kings 18:24). You sent fire and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:38). And You have continued to make it clear through the ages and into our day that You alone are God.
O Lord, so often we are painfully aware that we live in the midst of deception (Jeremiah 9:6). We are surrounded by the spirit of falsehood (1 John 4:6), by false gods (Matthew 24:24), and by deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:6).
But Your word prepares us and instructs us to be on guard. Our Lord Jesus Himself told us, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16).
The apostle Paul reiterated the warning, providing additional details about "the fruit" that allows us to identify deceivers: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people (Romans 16:17-18).
Father, we can only recognize falsehood by comparing it with the truth of Your word. Paul was clear that false prophets act in contradiction to Your truth— contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Help us to study Your word, under the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so we can recognize 'fruit" that is contrary to Your truth and justice.
Help us, our Father. Keep us from simplemindedness and naiveté. Guard us against divisions and obstacles. Guard us against smooth talk and flattery. Deliver us, O Lord, from evil.
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