Turned in my music essay in discussion at noon today, then went to the self paced center and got two more quizzes out of the way. Now I just have one quiz and one program left. At 3 I went to computer science lecture, and afterwards rested a little before going to lipman room to help set up bible study.

The was a ice skating activity after bible study that joseph and I were planning to miss to drive back to davis. We ended up going at the last minute. The event was fun, and afterwards both my feet and ankles were sore and chaffed.

We got back to davis at about 2 in the morning.

Devotion notes and thoughts:

What does v. 2 show about what God cherishes?

God cherishes our love and devotion towards him. He desires for us to put our trust in him and not anything else.

Reflect on the two sins mentioned in v. 13. What is the nature of these two sins, and what ways do these twin sins capture the basic human sinful outlook?

The two sins were forsaking God and creating their own gods in place of the true God. These sins show the pridefulness of the human heart, and the thought that one does not need to rely on God but can instead worship idols crafted by human hands.

Reflect on God’s description of idolatrous Israel: “It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.” What lesson about human nature does this reveal?

As Matthew Henry says, it is easy to let "corruptions triumph over their convictions." Even though the people knew what they were doing was wrong, they resigned themselves to the fact that their sinfulness was too great to be undone.

Henry also states, "A man must never say There is no hope, as long as he is on this side hell."

Although idolatry involved worshipping false, man-made gods, what, according to vv. 23-25, is it driven by at its core? What does this show about what might be driving those who abandon the faith, or no longer walk with God in the “devotion of [their] youth”?

In verse 24, the donkey is wild, and accustomed to the desert. The people were comfortable in the state they were in, idle and not serving God. In such a state, they sniffed about for the cravings of their sinful nature.

At the core of the problem was the people's lustfulness, and the fact they did nothing to keep themselves from indulging this sin. Those who abandon the faith are driven by their own desires and lusts, and not by obedience to God's direction.

Notice that the Israelites were claiming wood and stone as being responsible for their birth, and reflect on the similar claims made by many today. Why would people make such clearly absurd claims?

By claiming that they were created by wood and stone rather than God our true creator, people discard the obligations they would have to God. If God is the author of life, then life must abide by his moral laws, just as all creation obeys the physical laws he laid out. However, man tries to discard God's moral laws for this universe by claiming that their origins are not of God.

What about human nature is revealed by the fact that though they had “turned their backs” against God, they have “not turned their faces” and that when trouble comes they cry out to God, “come and save us!”

It reveals selfishness. The people called upon God to rescue them when they needed help, yet turned their backs on God when they felt like they could rely on themselves and neglect him. Thus, they treated God like a vending machine for their own benefits, and did not regard, respect, and worship him as he deserves.

If they knew the impotence of their idols, so that they cried out to God when trouble came, what view of God did they have, and how does this contrast with God’s heart as revealed in v. 2?

I guess I answered this partially in the last question. God desired for the Israelites to rely on him and follow his guidance in all aspects of their life, but the people chose to only call upon him when it was convenient or necessary for them. They treated God as something they could use without any relational obligation, while God desired a real relationship with them based on love and faith.

Note that the idols ultimately could not save, and that the Israelites actually seemed to be aware of this. Are there ways in which I am panting after something other than God—some good that I desire—while knowing all along that only God can ultimately save me?

I think it's easy for me to be distracted by the things of the world, such as school, relationships, money, business, and others. I need to keep a correct perspective on all things in life and realize that everything I do is worthless in the big, eternal picture if I do not do them for eternal purposes. I need to trust less in material things for happiness and security, and put my faith more fully in God alone.

If so, what does this tell me about how I am regarding God?

I need to be mindful not to treat God as the Israelites did, turning only to him when things aren't going well, but relying on my own strength and the things of this world when things seem to be going fine.