Devotional: Children in Whom is No Faith

Children in Whom is No Faith

By Marsha Iddings

Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

God calls the Israelites "children in whom is no faith". What prompted this statement? Let's take a look and see.

We see much complaining and grumbling in the wilderness. (Exodus 17:1-4) They were not trusting God's Providence in their lives, nor were they content with His provision. (Numbers 11:6) They questioned His wisdom and His word. (Deuteronomy 1:27) They began to think that they could do a better job on their own and disobeyed God numerous times, even setting up an idol in His place. (Exodus 32:1)

So we see why they were called children in whom is no faith. It all starts with being discontented with our circumstances, and spirals downward to complaining, then thinking we can do better than what God is and then we move on to idolatry.

Idolatry is anything that we set up as more important than obeying God.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 says, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

According to 1 Samuel 15:22-23, when we put our service and outward forms of worship to God above our obedience to His word, it is idolatry in God's eyes. We can be the most religious person around and still reject God's word. How do we do this? We reject God's word when we do not acknowledge Him in all our ways. We reject God's word when we put the teaching of church leaders above what the Bible teaches. We reject the word of God when we engage in man centered worship (appealing to man's wants instead of what glorifies God). We reject the word of God when we put other things or people above God. There are many other ways we might be religious yet still reject God's word but time and space limit me. Can you be called a child in whom is no faith? I pray that we would all seek to be children of faith, ones who obey and hold the word of God, the Bible in highest esteem and obey it.