THE COST OF DIVIDED DEVOTION
““This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew.” Jeremiah 44:2-3 NIV
Sin always writes its story in ruins. Judah did not wake up one morning in desolation; they walked there slowly, drifting in worship, giving their hearts to idols that could not save. Their rebellion was not merely disobedience but misplaced devotion. They knew the Lord yet turned to lesser gods, provoking His grief and righteous jealousy.
Idolatry today rarely looks like incense and carved images. It looks like trust transferred, security placed in what we can see, touch, build, or control. It looks like affection given to what competes with God for our hope, our time, our glory.
The Lord is not harsh in warning us but merciful. He remembers His covenant, and He calls us back before our souls show the cracks of divided worship. To belong fully to Him is not loss, but preservation, peace and life.
Child of God when you surrender, idols crumble and communion returns. May your heart be single toward Him, knowing no other god but the One who saved us.
Prayer: My Father, I thank you for this wisdom. As the psalmist well put it, search my heart and reveal every rival that steals affection meant for you. Weed out any subtle idols that may rise in my desires and habits, and draw me continuously into wholehearted devotion. May it be said of me that my worship is pure, my trust steadfast, and my life rooted in love for You alone, in Jesus name. Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Deuteronomy 5:7–9
• Exodus 20:3-5
• Psalm 16:4
