2 Kings 17:37-41 “And the statutes and the rules and the law and commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods, but you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner. These nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images…”
Syncretism, the theological term for the divided loyalties of God’s children who also trust other gods, carries grave consequences. Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” It is either Him or the idol, but we cannot rest our hope in both. God demands our loyalty and faithfulness. When life becomes complicated, God seeks people with hearts that fully trust Him. Israel had the Only True God, yet they continued to let fear entangle them instead of resting in God’s care. That fear was the impetus for them to run to other nation’s gods. They also did not choose to repent when God used enemy nations to discipline them. Instead, they ran to nations they thought were more powerful than the one God was using to rend their hearts and cause them to submit.
When I made airline reservations to meet my fiancé in California in 1987, I also made reservations for a local hotel without his knowledge. Many of you may not know how unconventional our meeting, dating, and engagement were. When Marlon proposed, I said, “Yes!” I also questioned the sincerity of my future husband's faithfulness to me. He proved in every way that he was all in. His commitment was unwavering, and there are stories that I look back at after 37 years and can see clearly. With all the proof of faithful love towards me, I still planned for a rescue. I intentionally put no faith in the certainty shown over our short courtship and set my hope on vacation if the man who did nothing to show he would not keep his word did not show up. I honestly thought he might not pick me up from the airport. We only knew one another for a couple of months, and we got engaged. Then, he departed from Ft. Lewis, WA, and flew back to Camp Pendleton, CA. We didn’t talk for months, but one day, he called and asked, “Want to fly in for Christmas? My mom is visiting. She would love to meet you. We can surprise them with a wedding.” I booked the airplane ticket but thought, “How sure can a girl be?” While I said, yes, I booked a hotel because my loyalty was questionable.
Israel did not have an excuse to book a hotel when God showed up faithfully repeatedly. He gave them no reason to doubt him. Even when he disciplined them, he proved faithful. They thought they needed a backup plan in case He wasn’t dependable. Many of the kings of Israel and Judah would run to enemy nations to seek help when God had promised to provide for them. Not only did he provide for their care, but also for their security. They allowed themselves to lean on their understanding. These kings looked through pragmatic eyes and thought, “These nations are so powerful; we need to make deals with them for our aid.” Yet, God would disabuse them of these choices. For example, to King Asa of Judah, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God…” In other words, “Why did you need to book a hotel? You should have known I’d be there to pick you up.” There were consequences for not depending exclusively on God. They put their faith in God and themselves or idols in their prosperity. During wartime, they often put their faith in God and other nations. Nations God did not send to help, but his children chose to look to them anyway. This is booking a hotel when you don’t trust God’s faithfulness.
We face the same thing when we think we can rely on God but also keep our hope in something other than God. It could be our finances, another person, talents, or appearance. You can name many different things. Sadly, it can be a political party, too. I will be sincere: I believe there is one party better at protecting the freedoms of the citizens of this country than the other. I think there is one party that will let us keep more of our dollars in our pockets and put Americans first. While the campaigns are going on, we can find that we fully trust God for His best. We can also see that we have chinks in our faith armor. We pray for God to spare America from the party we think is going to destroy our freedoms. Both sides pray in this way. We give our full attention to God. We put our trust in Him to answer our prayers. We are entirely sold out to Him and are committed to being faithful. Yet, in our hearts perhaps that political party or figurehead has become a booked hotel. A secondary loyalty. Are we trusting God for our future but thinking things will improve if only this party or person wins? If that person does not win, then somehow, we figure God cannot be trusted? If that is you, you may have booked a hotel room. When we put any of our future hope in other than God, we booked a hotel. We know God can use people, but the whole weight of our faith must be that God will show up at the airport and keep His Word to be our everything. Man, politicians, and even spiritual leaders will fail or disappoint us. Just like the nations that Israel put their faith in always failed them, we will find that same condition when we choose them over God. Especially, if we think we can have each foot in Him and Them. God is not divided! Decide, he asks, "Me or Them?" It doesn't mean we cannot hope for what we think is the best, and then act in that way.
We must show complete faithfulness no matter the outcome, even if it is not what we expect. Disappointment might happen and is normal. It’s an emotion that comes when things don’t go our way. However, if you get angry and become despondent, it could reveal a syncretistic heart that already booked a hotel room and did not fully trust that God showed up for you. Even with Israel, God used every military campaign for them to see His faithfulness. Guess what? The campaigns that did not go their way also showed His desire for their faithfulness. We only prove our commitment when we keep our hearts from being divided. A divided heart always shows up in anger. That anger, according to Scripture, “… does not produce the righteousness of God” James 1:20. In fact, what it shows is that our heart is divided, and while we say we are coming in faithful for God, we have booked that hotel room, just in case, in our thinking, He doesn’t show up for us. Even though He has never proven He won’t, no matter the winner of an election, struggle in life, or His discipline, He asks, “Me or Them? Decide!”
When I eventually told my husband what I had done in booking a hotel room, he asked, "Had I done anything to show you I would not be there to pick you up?" I knew that I could rest the entire weight of my love and faith on the man I eventually called my husband. How much more can we fully trust God and not need to put our faith in anything or anyone but Him?
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