You are my God

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Psalm 31:14-15

Many people have rejected the reality of God. In some religious traditions, there are millions of gods. The ancient Israelites were unique in their socio-cultural context for being monotheistic in a polytheistic world. Yet even the Jews went astray from their monotheistic spiritual tradition and worshipped other gods like Baal.

Why do people feel it necessary to have more than one God? Logically speaking, if God exists as the uncreated, unrivaled, sovereign divine being with omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, it is not possible or necessary to have other gods because all power and authority would reside with that one God. That would make all other gods idols created by human beings to satisfy their religious imaginations. This is precisely what has occurred throughout human history; human beings have turned idols into their gods. Thus, some people worship the sun or the moon as their gods. People were forced to worship the emperor as a god in the Roman Empire.

In today’s text, David declares that the God of his ancestors is his God. The Jewish people had been worshipping this God for many centuries before David made that bold statement. The God of the Jewish religious traditions had an unparalleled track record of doing amazing things like splitting up the red sea for the Jews to exit Egyptian bondage. This God was worshipped as the creator of the universe. The Jews had more than 20 different names for God.

At some point, everyone chooses a god. Even atheists have a god—though they don’t realize that they do. This is the most important decision we must make in our lifetime. Choosing a God is not like buying a car or choosing a mate. That choice has existential, spiritual, and eternal consequences. The Bible is designed to help human beings choose the right God. It provides spiritual instructions for making an everlasting choice.

The challenge for most people is to decide which god they will choose each day. Even the Israelites struggled with that question despite all the miracles the Lord had done for them to bring them to the promised land. Thus, Joshua told them in Joshua 24:15, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The question before us all is “who is your God?” We can only answer that question correctly by reading the word of God daily and staying hidden in God with Christ. The many idols who captivate our attention can easily become gods without the help of the Holy Spirit. We must be intentional about making the God of the Bible the one we worship and serve so as not to make room for any other gods in our lives. For, the God of the Bible will not share His glory with any other gods.

The many benefits of making the God of the Bible our God include everlasting peace, indescribable joy, eternal life, and divine protection. Those who have made the God of the Bible their God live in victory no matter their circumstances. They walk by faith and not fear because their lives are safe and secure in God’s hands.

Questions for Personal Reflection

Who is your God?

What are the benefits of having the God of David as your God?

Prayer- Blessed Lord, I thank you for being my God. In you, I live, move, and have my being. Thank you for your redemptive love and your unfailing grace. Please help me to remain faithful to you as my God and trust you even in times of trouble.