Enemies and Idols

Days 40-43 reading assignment:
Exodus 29:1-35:9
Matthew 26:14-27:31
Psalm 31:19-33:22
Proverbs 8:14-9:6

Our grandson Sawyer is very literal.  He doesn't get it when we ask him if he would like spaghetti for dinner.  We have to call it pasta and red sauce.  After we get him "dressed" in the morning, feeling proud of whatever he is wearing, he comes in to ask if we like his "dressed".  He had an accident his first day of pre-school a few weeks ago because the teacher asked him if he needed to go potty.  He said a firm "no" then proceeded to poop his pants.  I have no clue where it originated, but somewhere through the course of his potty training, he started referring to it as "going brown poop."  So Linz informed his teacher she would need to ask him if he would like to 'go brown poop'.  Literal and specific.  I understand this about Sawyer because I too take things very literally.

  Seventy-two Psalms, almost half the book speaks of enemies.  I keep reading without pause through key scriptures because I don't believe I have enemies.  But enemies are not just the literal sense of the word.  Satan, of course, is our greatest enemy but according to my Bible, temptations can be our enemies.  My application lists examples:

1. Money - never had it, never will
2. Success - not a goal of a dedicated underachiever like me 
3. Prestige - see #2
4. Lust - I sincerely don't think so but this Bible reading has me second guessing everything these days

It's a quick shot down the list, I lick the tip of my pencil and with head held high and without hesitation I check myself off this list.  But something nags.  I get out of Psalms and back to Exodus where the subject matter is all about the Israelites and their incessant need for their mindless idols.  Come on  people puhleeze!   The literal voice in my head sings a righteous; "No golden calves at our house by golly!"  Finally I can feel confident of receiving some tidbit of God's approval in this area.  And with that thought, completely against my will, I flash on the things I have prioritized above God.  The list is long.  And wanting some semblance of self respect I will keep the worst of it to myself.  But it starts with my obsession with my garden.  I couldn't begin to say how many hours I have logged there.  Nobody could know this by looking at my garden today because oddly, circumstances this year have removed almost all of my time in my garden.  Is this some sort of spiritual message?  Nah.  At the other end of my long, dirty list of things more important than God?  I can't believe I am saying this but it is my family.  I am a serial mother.  Don't mess with my family.  But God calls us not to love anything or anyone more than we love Him.....  literally.

Our great temptation is still to shape God to our liking, to make Him convenient to obey or ignore.