Deuteronomy 16:21 says, “Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the alter you build to the Lord your God.”

The Lord has always warned his people not to put any other god in their lives beside him. The first 2 commandments of the 10 God gave through Moses dealt with this issue.

Now, I understand that most people today do not place an idol made of wood, metal or any other type of material in their home in order to bow down to them.

We see more of this in other countries, but it is becoming more prevalent in America as people from other countries move here.

The truth is that we don’t have to possess a physical object of worship in order to violate God’s commands – we just have to allow other things to become priorities in our life.

So we need to ask ourselves this question: “What is there that takes precedence above our worship of God?” Are there things that you are allowing to keep you away from worshipping God at church? Are there things that get in the way of you spending time in God’s word and prayer?

I think it would be a good thing to say a prayer of King David where he asked in Psalm 139:23, “Search me, God, and know my heart.”

Our God is faithful and will reveal to us if there are things that are rivals or things that could potentially become so.