"... For I the LORD your God am a jealous God... " —Exodus 20:5
Have you ever experienced the jealousy of God? I had never experienced it until I was at Bible study one night recently. My mind hadn't been where it was supposed to be that night. It wasn't in a bad place, but it was bouncing back and forth between what we were studying and a particular girl who was at study that night.
It was about time to leave, and we were all standing around the house talking. As I went to leave, I stood inside, next to the door, and called out to a couple of the guys across the room, just to say goodbye. Well, the host's new puppy bolted for the door, so I slammed the door to keep the dog from getting out. Just then, someone opened the door again—quite suddenly.
Pain burst through my head. I can't even describe to you how I was standing, but apparently the only part of me that was in the way of the door was the back of my skull. With all their weight behind it, the person opened the door into my head. BANG!
It was pretty funny in hindsight, but it was pretty painful too. I walked to my truck, holding the back of my throbbing head, thinking "that made me look pretty bad." As I drove home, for some reason, this verse kept running through my head: "...For I the LORD your God am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:5). Was God trying to tell me something here?
Once I understood why I kept thinking about that, I was overjoyed! I had been distracted, and God wanted to get my attention so bad that He had to hit me in the back of the head with a door to do it. He was jealous for my attention. My own good is so intertwined with loving Him with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind, that He was willing to go that far to put me back on track.
Although I don't think God will hit me with a door every time I'm distracted or misplacing my focus, I believe He did it once so that I will remember in the future. He didn't do it so that I would be fearful, but so that I would think fondly of Him and the fact that He cares that much.
—John Raz
John Raz is a diabetic who enjoys writing, playing guitar, and photography. He rarely knows what to put in his own bio because he's not good at talking about himself, but he would love to talk to you about Christ!
