Taking God Seriously

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. . . . But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:6, 9-11


During the Exodus, the ancient Hebrews escaped the slavery and punishment of Egyptian rule. On their journey home to Israel, they witnessed the miracle of God parting the water at the Red Sea that brought doom to their Egyptian pursuers. These people had everything. God guided them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s leader, Moses, was out in front of them. God provided nourishment with manna from heaven and water from the rock. They were surrounded by unparalleled privileges. God’s presence was constant. His workings were evident. In fact, one would think that these people would be the epitome of godliness, if for no other reason than out of gratitude for what God had done for them. But they were not. The apostle Paul wrote of these people, “Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:5). As they journeyed from Egypt, they played games with their lives and with their God.

That is dangerous business.

What happened to these potential saints? What caused their demise? Paul, again, surmises their tragedy and demise, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry” (1 Corinthians 10:7). It sounded like a fraternity party. The supernatural became commonplace. God-talk abounded. But they lacked a reverence and awe for God. They became calloused to the divine. They became nonchalant in their values. They forgot their heritage. Apathy ran rampant. They did not mean business with God. The relationship with him became a farce.

Sound familiar? Never in the history of the world has one country been so blessed. We are inundated with churches, Christian radio and television, Christian magazines and books, Christian schools, Christian conferences and seminars. Never has the potential for religious instruction been so paramount. Our churches should be overflowing with godly men and women. Are they? All too often, we walk down the same paths of carnality as these ancient Hebrews. We make light of what we should honor. We wink at what we should weep about. We play with what we should take quite seriously. And our families suffer the effects of our lax faith.

The children of Israel serve as a warning to every believer. Heed the warning. Take God seriously.

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