Matthew 17:1-8
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James,
and his brother John to the top of a high and lonely hill, and as they
watched, his appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun and
his clothing became dazzling white.
Suddenly Moses and Elijah
appeared and were talking with him. Peter blurted out, “Sir, it’s
wonderful that we can be here! If you want me to, I’ll make three
shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
But
even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the
cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with
him. Obey him.”
At this the disciples fell face downward to the
ground, terribly frightened. Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,”
he said, “don’t be afraid.”
And when they looked, only Jesus was with them.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Billy Graham…John Hagee…Joyce
Meyer…Beth Moore…Dr. Phil…Deepak Chopra…the Dalai Lama…Bill
O’Reilly…Anderson Cooper…Rachel Maddow…Megyn Kelly...your pastor…your
children…your spouse or significant other…your home, car and
possessions…your job…your hobby…your favorite team…your pet...your
favorite entertainer or celebrity...
All of these, and countless
other people and things that we could list, have been given a place of
“worship” in the lives of many of us. We have essentially made
“shelters” for people and things that are not nearly as worthy of
adoration as we make them. In fact, God clearly indicates in this
passage that only ONE is worthy of praise and reverence! Even the likes
of Moses and Elijah – both great men of God – are not who we should
place on such a pedestal.
There is nothing wrong with having
respect and admiration for great men and women of God…or people whom we
feel are intelligent and have their finger on the pulse of current
events or seem to have figured out quite a bit about mental health and
sound living. We should honor our spouses, children and pets – and care
deeply about them. We need to work hard, do our best, and make every
effort to be well-rounded and interesting. It’s fine to have hobbies
and to support a team or three – or to enjoy the performances and
talents of someone else.
But we must be careful to remember Who deserves our ultimate worship. We must remember that God chose Jesus…His beloved Son,
to lead and guide us. He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins…and
in return, we are told to obey Him…to follow His teachings and make Him the center of our being - not something or someone else.
So
let’s examine our hearts and lives today and see Who we have made the
object of our adoration. Where have we misplaced our loyalties…if only a
little. Where do we need to shift and adjust our focus – and place it
more squarely on Jesus Christ? Are we ready to make only ONE shelter in
our hearts and minds – for the One who truly deserves it? Don’t you
think this is a good day to start?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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