A Cheap substitute

I Kings 12:28 “Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

Years ago, my wife and I were graciously given a trip to the Holy Land. This wonderful experience was made possible by the church we were then pastoring, Eifel Baptist Church of Germany. The trip was put together by our dear friend, Carl Manning. It was the trip of a life-time, and we are appreciative of all involved.

We saw the places where Jesus had done many miracles. We rode on the sea where Jesus and His disciples had sailed. We stood in the location where Jesus had taught the multitudes. We had the amazing experience of stepping into the tomb where he had been buried and noticed the reality of what is written in Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen as he said. . .” That empty tomb gave goose-bumps to each child of God that day.

While there our Jewish guide cautioned us about buying souvenirs from the Palestinian merchandisers. He showed us what looked to be a genuine leather belt. He passed it around for us to examine. It felt real. It even smelled like the genuine thing. Then he took his knife and peeled off the outward veneer to expose that the belt was actually cardboard. It was A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.

After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided. Jeroboam became king of the Northern Kingdom and Rehoboam became king of the Southern Kingdom. At this time the Jewish men were reqired to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. Out of fear the required trips to the Southern Kingdom would undermine his authority, Jeroboam decided to set up his own center of worship. In fact, he decided it was both too inconvient and oppressive for the men to have to go all the way to Jerusalem, so he built centers of worship at Dan and Bethel. He invented a political religion, instituted feasts different from those appointed by the Lord. He caused two golden calves (figures of Mnevis, the sacred calf) to be made. He gave them A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.

We are living in a day when many so-called believers, (I’m not the judge), do not experience all they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

What a wonderful thought to be blessed “with all spiritual blessings.” We have been blessed with the pure doctrine of the gospel. We are saved by God’s grace through faith, which also came from God. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, which is the earnest of our salvation. The Holy spirit has given us spiritual gifts with which to live the Christian life. We are justified, sanctified and have the assurance that one day we will be glorified with the Lord Jesus Christ. We also have the privilege of being Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. This knowledge ought to challenge us live a life of joy and happiness every day.

Matthew Henry put it this way: “. . . Spiritual and heavenly blessings are the best blessings; with which we cannot be miserable, and without which we cannot but be so.”

Think about what we have in Christ Jesus. Why would we want to be satisfied with A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE? But many do. They fill their lives with the things of the world and Christ takes second place. We should never sacrifice God’s best on the altar of CHEAP SUBSTITUTES. Some pursue the things of this world for themselves and their kids, thinking that will satisfy more than God. And I’m only talking about definitely sinful activities. A person can fill his life so full of school functions, kid’s sporting activities, hunting and fishing trips or even doing great things for the community. But when they take the place of church attendance, tithing, daily devotional time and our walk with the Lord, they have become A CHEAP SUBSTITUE. Too many people are missing a life of joy, peace and happiness which only comes through a daily walk with the Lord.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God takes care of the little things in our lives when we put Him first.

When Solomon became the king, he had a very special request to ask of the Lord. That request is found in I Kings 3:9 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” He is asking for wisdom and that comes only from above. James wrote in James 1:3 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” That’s exactly what Solomon asked for and he did so of God.

And what was God’s reply? Notice I Kings 3:12-13 “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.”

God blesses more us with more than we even ask. Do we want the blessings of God, or do we want to settle for A CHEAP SUBSTITUE? I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best.

That’s my view; how about you?