Our Money Points Directly To Our God

Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” [Genesis 28.20-22]

It can be seen if we will see it that Jacob is distinguishing how to identify God in the life of a believer. It has everything to do with protection and provision. In generic words...

What one is devoted to for protection and provision is that person's god evidenced by payment for those services.

Do we want to think this statement through? Yeah, probably not! But, let's just explore it anyway, shall we?

Debt, insurance, medicine and technology are major sources for protection and provision in our day. Most people have affectionately committed themselves to payments for these services greater than ten percent of their income. These provision and protection "industries" as we call them are the equivalent of "God" (i.e. "gods") by Jacob's words, and "idols" by God's words:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.2-6] 

"Egypt" in God's words above, represented Israel's affection for protection and provision that had become their slavery. We should remember why Israel ended up in Egypt in the first place! What was initially and innocently enough an affectionate move toward provision and protection (Genesis 46.1-4) became slavery over time! Pharoah's benevolence became Israel's slavery. Israel's experience with Egypt was not just an isolated event in history, but a stern warning against idolatry for all who would ever seek to follow God!

Unironically, Jesus (God With Us) made the following demand regarding provision and protection:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.25-34]

God's way is to provide for and protect His own. Man's way is to provide for and protect himself. And, for this reason, Jesus made the all-inclusive demand:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

I've said it before, and I will say it again, we must only follow the money to see where our affection lies. Our money points directly to our god (be it the LORD God, or idols). But again, will we see it?

Father, I had no inclination or intention of writing about idolatry today. And yet, after more than an hour of reading and re-reading today's OYCB reading, I felt no direction at all until I saw the subject passage above for what it reveals... I know people are tired of hearing my concerns about idolatry. But only You can convert "my concerns" to become "their concerns" by the revelation of Your Word. May my every published and vocal concern about idolatry simply herald what Your Word has been saying all along. May my encouragement always be to trust Christ ALONE: not to worry about everyday life, not to worry about provision and protection, but instead to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.