No Other God, Part I

Oh yeah.  I'm an Olympics junkie.  But before you start thinking that I neglect my family to watch these games, you must know that I am not alone.  Every two years, be it winter or summer, the Liddle family (kids included) is practically glued to the TV for the two weeks of Olympic games.  We LOVE it!!!  So, obviously, just like the rest of the country, we have been very excited to see the success of Michael Phelps this year in China.  It has been amazing and so fun to watch!!

However, the other day I read a comment on the internet that was not so much shocking as it was just plain disturbing.  The comment read (as if written to Phelps) "You are Jesus".  At first I was just really taken aback and actually offended.  How dare someone be so irreverent?  I mean, I think it's awesome that I got to witness Olympic history; I was as excited as anyone!  But to compare him to Jesus?  As I mulled it over, I was just reminded of a sad but simple truth:  many people know who Jesus is and will sometimes even recognize His greatness, but they are very far from knowing Him.  

In Isaiah 45:5, God proclaims "I am the LORD, and there is no other;  Besides Me there is no God".  God will not be equalled.  He is a jealous God.  Please don't get me wrong; there is something so satisfying about watching a fellow human "max out" his God-given potential.  These olympic athletes are fun to watch, and they are even great role-models in many cases.  But sadly, it is too often that they are given an unfair responsibility--one that no human could ever handle.  No one but Jesus.  He actually DID save the world!!  So, with that in mind, I have to say that there is actually alot more that I would like to write about this subject, but I am going to save it for tomorrow.  For now, think about this:  what (or whom) have you placed on a pedestal in your life?  Of course, most of us would not be so blatant about it as the comment I read online, but I wonder if we would be surprised when we look deep within and realize what people or things we are, in a sense, equating with God.  Think about that...part II is coming!