“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3
I didn’t want to go. I was tired and just wanted to kick back and forget the heaviness of life. I kicked off my shoes, flopped into my overstuffed chair, grabbed my phone and began to scroll through social media posts. I switched to the news sites, but that only added to the weight of life’s burdens and reminded me of the need to intercede. I was weary of the battles I had been fighting and was prayed out. The Eagles’ game was about to start. I hadn’t watched a game in years, but today it seemed like the perfect place to check out of life for a while.
If my life had been my own, everything would have been fine, but Holy Spirit was not OK with this. He had impressed on my heart three people that I needed to visit this week, and every day I offered up another excuse for not going. Watching the Eagles was not His assignment for today. In His gentle but firm way, He reminded me of the words from the morning sermon – “Make the best use of the time, and to steward the resources entrusted to you us for eternal purposes.” Ugh. I squirmed in my seat.
Next, He reminded me of my recent study of God’s children going up to high places to entreat the favor of other gods. The prevailing lie at the time was: “God’s not enough for what you’re facing.” On the high places you could have sex with temple prostitutes, sacrifice your children, and exchange the heaviness of life for pagan festivities. Appalled at their brazen idolatry and betrayal of the God who had carried them through so much, I was struck with a piercing thought: “Do I have high places too? Is the enemy using the same lie against me – ‘God is not enough for what you’re facing?’”
I put down my phone, turned off the game, and fixed my eyes on Jesus. What did He do when life got heavy? He went up on a mountain to commune with His Father. There, He surrendered His will and heard from the Father. He was instructed, encouraged, and empowered for next steps. The contrast in high places was striking: one was a place to escape the God who wasn’t enough. The other was a place to run to the Father who was. One was a place of self-indulgence; the other was a place of self-surrender.
Enough! I threw off my blanket, forsook my comfy chair and lame excuses, got in my car, and aligned myself with my Father’s plans. I put on worship music for the drive to my three assignments and sought the LORD for His words and empowering grace to represent Him well.
It was a long day, and I didn’t get home until after 9 P.M., but I saw the LORD move mightily in each assignment. There were opportunities to pray and speak life into three families that were battling despair in the face of addiction, bankruptcy, and a life-threatening diagnosis. Instead of checking out of my own weariness, the LORD called me into the weariness of others. Going in His strength and ministering in His power, I came home more energized and built up in my faith than I had been all week.
We may not climb a mountain physically to escape life’s demands, but a high place is any place where we go to worship a false god. We can’t serve two masters. (Matt. 6:24). Jesus invites us to come to Him weary and heavy laden, and He will give us rest. (Matt. 11:28-30). He invites us into the throne room to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebr. 4:16). We can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (I Peter 5:7). He is the only High Place we need.
Are you weary and heavy laden? Are you tempted to check out of life and indulge your flesh? Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15). Consider carefully where you’ll run. Your Father’s arms are open. God IS enough for whatever you’re facing. Come up higher into His presence. Give Him your weakness; He’ll be your strength. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. In His presence you’ll find rest for your soul. (Matt. 11:28-30)
“Forgive me, Father, for seeking refuge in other gods, for allowing the enemy to lure me away from wholehearted devotion to You. I surrender afresh to Your love, Your will, and Your way. I choose to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You. Be my refuge, my strength, and my All-in-All. You, LORD, are enough.”
~Lisa Moore