Burning Incense to Other gods - The Faithbook Experiment



My Faithbook Experiment ( #FaithbookExperiment ) continues to be a journey of self-examination. The other morning I was in Jeremiah. I began reading in chapter 33, lingering over Jeremiah 33:3. 

        “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

            As I meditated on this familiar verse I prayed, asking the Lord to speak to my heart and show me great and unsearchable things that I don’t know. It wasn’t something I prayed lightly.  This invitation to call to the Lord also gives us His promise that He will answer. 

            My study of Jeremiah took me to chapter 44. In this book, the issue of “burning incense to other gods” is addressed. Burning incense is, of course, an act of worship. God clearly listed the ingredients for incense and stated in Exodus that it was to be used to worship only Him. Using it in any other way was against His command. Yet, knowing this, His people disobeyed. Specifically, the women in this chapter were the ones burning incense to other gods, and their husbands were aware of their actions.

            When this Faithbook Experiment began one of the first questions I asked was:

Is the Faithbook Experiment about tearing down idols?

Reading Jeremiah 44 makes me ask:

            Do I burn incense to other gods?

            Although I’m not physically burning incense before an idol, have I set up an emotional altar in my life and placed anything or anyone upon it? This question takes me back to Jeremiah 33:3 and leads me to pray, knowing He will answer.

            Lord, please examine my heart and life and reveal any other gods I burn incense to.
                                                Continuing the journey,
                                                Leslie
#jeremiah33:3
#idols
#burningincense

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