We talk a lot about God’s love and his faithfulness. We talk about his goodness and compassion. But we don’t often bring up the fact that He gets jealous. Even angry.

We don’t like to talk about that kind of God, because then we would have to look into why He would ever be that way. What would make the God of love so angry?

In my reading of Psalm 78, I was asking God to speak, to show me the verse that He wanted me to dwell on. That is how I find scripture to journal and meditate on. But Psalm 78 is not an encouraging Psalm. There isn’t much in it that speaks of love, compassion, and encouragement.

After reading over it a few times, I kept coming back to verse 58.

“They angered him with their high places; 
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.”

They aroused his jealousy with their idols. We don’t have physical idols today – no stone monuments we pray to. But an idol can be anything we prioritize over God. The Oxford Dictionary says it like this:  “a person or thing that is greatly loved, admired, or revered.”

Sleep can be an idol when you keep hitting the snooze button instead of spending time with Him.

Sports can be an idol when you choose to stay home and watch a game over going to church to worship Him.

Work can be an idol when you give it priority over your relationship with God.

Anything can become an idol when it takes precedence over your love for God.

So while God is a God of love and compassion, He is also a jealous God. One not to ignore. He wants us to love Him above all else. He wants your heart, your love, and your time.

I’ve been guilty of making God jealous. Time and time again. It’s just a matter of getting my priorities back into focus….and focus on Him.

How are you doing with your priorities? Does He come first in your life?