Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1-3
Then God instructed the people as follows: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods besides me.” Exodus 20:1-3
WHAT’S THE MOST famous painting in the world? Probably the Mona Lisa.
Leonardo da Vinci painted a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, the young wife of a wealthy merchant, around 1503 in Florence, Italy. The smile he captured on the woman’s face has mystified people ever since its creation. Is she happy? Is she sad? Is her smile appearing? Is it disappearing? Or does she just have a little indigestion?
You’ve seen the picture, right? Probably not. You’ve seen copies. You’ve seen it reproduced in encyclopedias, classrooms, textbooks, television shows-but unless you’ve visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, you’ve never seen the actual Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa is unique. It’s one of a kind. There is no other painting like it.
What is true of the Mona Lisa is true, in a much greater and deeper way, of our God. He is unique. He’s one of a kind. There is no one like him. When Moses ascended the slopes of Mount Sinai many years ago, God delivered the Ten Commandments:
Then God instructed the people as follows: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:1-3).
The first commandment God gave to Moses revealed that he is unique. There is no one like him. But his uniqueness exceeds the uniqueness of the Mona Lisa. There is only one Mona Lisa in the world, but there are many paintings. There is only one God in the universe, and there is none other. He’s not only unique in his class, he’s alone in his class! He alone is God. He says, “Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).
That is why God tells us to worship no one but him. And that’s why we will never be satisfied worshiping someone-or something-else.
REFLECT: Do you worship only God? Are you devoted to anyone or anything else? How do you know? What other things in the world can be truly called unique? Are any of those things unique in the way that God is unique?
ACT: Look for a picture of the Mona Lisa. (Try looking in an encyclopedia.) If possible, keep a copy of the painting posted on your bedroom door or bathroom mirror. Every time you see it this week, take a moment to think about God’s uniqueness.
PRAY: “God, I’m really glad that I don’t need to look anywhere else for salvation. I praise you for being the only God there is.”
