.....undivided

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God Exodus 34:14

Technology can be helpful — until it’s not. Take James, for example. He tried to make a simple call using Siri on his iPhone:

James: "Siri, call my wife."

Siri: "Teresa Martin is not in your contacts."

James: "Teresa Stewart is my wife."

Siri: "I’ve added Teresa Stewart as your wife."

James: "Call my wife."

Siri: "Which wife?"

Yikes. That’s the kind of moment where you hope Siri doesn’t accidentally send a group text to both women… and your preacher. But that story points to a deeper spiritual truth: Loyalty in relationships matters. Especially when it comes to our relationship with God.

We live in a world of divided attention. We juggle family, work, hobbies, and appointments — and sometimes, we try to juggle God right along with everything else. But God isn’t content to be just another name in our spiritual contact list. He wants our full devotion — not out of insecurity, but because of who he is and the kind of relationship he wants to have with us.

The Bible says that God is a “jealous” God. Not in a petty way, but in a passionate way — the kind of jealousy a faithful spouse rightly feels when love is betrayed. And the truth is, our hearts can easily wander. We can give our attention and affection to all sorts of things: success, comfort, approval, entertainment, even good things like family or ministry. But when anything takes God’s place at the center of our hearts, we become like James’s confused phone — unsure who to call "Lord."

God doesn’t want to be one of many options in your spiritual contact list. He wants to be your one true love, your first call in time of crisis, your constant companion, and your trusted guide in every decision.

So, here’s a question to reflect on today: If your heart had a speed dial… who or what would be in the top spot? And maybe a better question: What would it look like to move God back to the number one spot?

- alan smith

Father, thank you for loving me with such passion and faithfulness. Forgive me when I let other things compete for first place in my heart. You are my one true love. Help me to put you above everything else. In Jesus’ name, amen.