Is He our God or are we His people?

Looks the same perhaps but it can be very different when walking it out.

We go to church, worship, pay our tithes and demonstrate good works and that equals the arrangement we have that God blesses those things that have taken up residence in our hearts: our plans, goals, priorities, work, money and possessions. We need God. We need Him so that we can have these things. We call them blessings from Him. But we predetermine the list of blessings. They are our created blessings that we need Him to supply and maintain. We need Him to polish our idols.

“My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. “I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—a people without understanding will come to ruin!” (Hosea 4 v 12-14)

The people were superstitious with the use of wooden sticks thrown in the air to see how they fell is akin to the toss of a coin or checking the horoscope for guidance.

The people fell into the cultural practices of sacrifices on mountaintops to be seen and under trees for their own shade. It did not please the Lord.

The people were immoral but the men had double standards. They castigated their own women for playing the harlot at these festivals and yet they took part themselves in these sexual offences.

The people had gone astray without letting go of their belief and worship of God. But that is not enough.

God but keeping Him out of the direction of our lives.

God but being more culturally relevant than obedient to the Word.

God but satisfying ourselves with whatever the world offers.

This leads to Him being our God but we not necessarily being His people.