Observation: God reminds the Judahite kingdom, in exile in Babylon, that not only did God exist before there was anything and will exist after, but there never have been, or ever will be, other gods.
Application: When I talk with middle school students about the First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me," I make it clear: I do not suspect you of having idols to Zeus or Mars or Aphrodite under your beds. But that doesn't mean you never break the First Commandment. In fact that's the easiest one to break. Most folks in my church don't have a literal belief that other gods exist. Theologically speaking, getting the population of gods in our minds up to one is challenge enough. But practically speaking, there are plenty of gods in our lives, if we define it the way theologian Paul Tillich did, as the "ultimate concern." Anything we trust in when times get tough, anything to which we give a huge amount of time, attention, money, effort, and devotion, can become a god for us.
Right now, if I'm being totally honest, my god is "getting things done." Looking at the way I spend my days, and ask whether I expect any help from God, or intend to do anything at all beyond the scope of what I myself can accomplish in the roughly 15 waking hours I have available--anything that would require God's help--I need to repent, reset, and let God be god in my life. I'm going to have to let some things go and turn some things over to God, and that's going to hurt.
Prayer: God, help me. Help me center you, and let you set the agenda. Help me worry less about all the things I can do, and worry more about the few things I should do, which are the things you place before me. Be my god. Because frankly I'm terrible at it and I need a break.
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