I hung up the phone, but immediately wanted to dial another number. The previous conversation had not gone well and my heart was burdened. I swallowed back the tears and debated about whether or not I should bother my husband at work with my concerns. Or maybe I should call a friend, my mother or even my daughter? Surely I needed to unload this burden on someone. Surely I needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, and some encouragement.
It bears repeating, I learn by repetition.
So...my fourth verse in my Soul Satisfying Menu of scriptures, with which I feed my soul every morning and multiple times the rest of the day, is not unlike the second and third verses. It reiterates that God alone is my god and nothing else in this world is to have the preeminence in my life that He does.
But this scripture additionally points out that He alone can save me.
Yet I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me.
Hosea 13:4
Do you ever run to a "different" savior? A savior besides God? I certainly have. Do. Hmm.
But God reminded His people through the prophet Hosea that He had saved their ancestors from their captivity to the Egyptians, and He alone could save them still. Like the Israelites, we are prone to run to the cross for salvation from our original enemy, Satan, but then run to "other" saviors in "lesser" attacks.
Bad news? Call a friend.
Bad report? Ask for a second medical opinion.
Bad grade? Hire a tutor.
Bad cough? Call the doctor.
Bad marriage conflict? Flip through a magazine.
Bad work day? Have a glass of wine.
Bad credit report? Check the Internet for advice.
Bad experience at the grocery store? Buy a candy bar at the register.
Bad faculty meeting? Search for a new job.
You get the point. What "saviors" have you run to recently? I've run to the Internet, friends, chocolate chip cookies, Dillard's, my husband and pasta. Those things and people sometimes make me feel better for a few minutes, but they've never yet saved me from anything. God was right (of course). There is no savior besides Him.
So, for me, three's a charm. Yes, I have three scriptures in a row in my Menu that remind me that no one else, nothing else makes a suitable god for me. He alone loves me, cares for me and has the ability to save and rule over me with love and integrity. I can trust Him as my God. He alone is worthy. He alone is able. He alone has my best interest at heart at all times.
He's the only God, Savior and King for you, too.
What other "savior" are you prone to run to? How do you discipline yourself to run to God instead?
Labels: meditation, memorization, My Daily Bread, salvation
