So, God DOESN’T take bribes?

He is a great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. — Deuteronomy 10:17b

BRIBE: to persuade (someone) to act in one’s favor, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement

Yikes. A bribe? To God? Who, us? Nah, we wouldn’t do THAT. We don’t bend God’s ear telling the Creator how good we’ve been (or what we deserve) before, during, or after a prayer that asks the Great I AM for something that benefits us.

And no, our gifts to God in the collection plate or through some charitable act that we falsely claim as tithing does not enable us to wiggle our way into bad behavior. Our money to the church does not entitle us to a “day off” of being good. Of course not! We don’t BRIBE God! How rude. How crude.

Here’s something to think about. How often have you “paid your dues” only to revert to the life you wanted to get away from?

Think about church worship. You get yourself into the groove to there. Depending on the Sunday or the season, that may be a lot harder than it looks. But you’re there. Hallelujah!

And it’s a good thing. It is. You actually like it. You’re not just wearing your worshipful face—whatever that looks like—to those in pews around you. You actually get it. You get God—the feeling, the connection, the divine holiness that is really pretty cool.

And then, bam, a few hours later, you’re verbally blasting a loved one, yelling out in a road rage, or during The Game you spill words you don’t want your pastor to hear. Ever. Did you feel you have license to do that? Maybe you do. I mean, you were good (remember the happy face in church thing?). Now you can be bad?

Moses is speaking to the people of Israel here. He is saying to them what is true to us: we have a mighty and awesome God, the very God who chooses us (Deuteronomy 10:15). This mighty, awesome God loves you—even when you never thought you were bribing God through your time, devotion, and money to get something you wanted, which, honestly, is your Get Out Of Jail card.
When we realize who we are and then think of God? Yeah. We are with Moses. God is mighty and so totally awesome.

PRAYER: You are totally awesome, God. You get me and You still (always) love me. Thank you. A billion times, thank you.