So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
– 2 Kings 17:33
What an interesting phrase. They feared God, they worshiped God in some way, yet at the same time they served their own gods, just like the nations the world around them. What a picture of how possible it is for you and I to give some worship to God, the one true capital G God, and yet give some worship to other gods, just like the rest of the world around us.
The One True God
I gather with the church on Sunday and worship God, but then all week long bow, just like others around us, in pursuit of money, position, fame, honor, praise, a name for ourselves, sex, satisfaction, and this or that pursuit in this world, whatever it might be, that we also worship alongside the one true God.
Oh God, may it not be so. God, I pray it would not be so in my life. Please help me to serve and worship you only. Please open my eyes, even right now, in a fresh way, today, to idolatry in my own heart. God, I pray this for my own heart, I pray this for others who are listening to this. God, help us to see. Open our eyes to see that which we are worshiping alongside the worship of you.
2 Kings 17:33 Proclaims God Alone is Worthy of Our Worship
God, we know, we know that you alone are worthy of all our worship. We want to look at the things in this world around us rightly, not like the rest of the world does. We want to worship you and then have a proper perspective on money, on fame, on honor for our name. God, we don’t want to desire that. We want to desire honor for your name alone. God, help us to have a right perspective on success, a right perspective on sex to live within your rules and your righteous statutes and commands toward us, the boundaries you’ve given us when it comes to love between a husband and a wife exclusively.
2 Kings 17:33 Prays for Hearts Devoted Towards God
God, please help us to worship and serve you only as our God, and see everything else in this world rightly, in right perspective, not as a god to give our hearts and minds over to. Please, oh God, please give us an undivided heart in our worship of you. May it not be said of us that we gathered on Sundays to give you some glory, while we lived our lives all week long giving other things glory, other things attention and affection, that you alone deserve. God, we pray, make us a people who serve and worship you only. Who refuse to tack on your worship to our idolatry. God, help us I pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
