“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.”
God has no problem speaking bluntly. In this verse He points out the lunacy of worshipping something that you created. Cutting down a tree, shaping it, dressing it up and then bowing down and worshiping it is stupidity, and it angers God.
Deuteronomy 7:26 not only says don’t have idols…it says we should “utterly detest” them. Idols are so offensive to God that they are forbidden by the very first commandment. God views idolatry like we would view our spouses being unfaithful.
But our culture is too advanced to worship idols…right? We could never be duped into serving false powerless gods, right?... I don’t know… look at what you value. Does anything eclipse your devotion to Christ? Does anything come close?
We should “detest” things that tempt us away from the true God. When I resist false gods is it because I despise them or out of a sense of duty? Do I “loathe” the gold in their idols and the lust in their lifestyles, or do I begrudgingly abstain?
When I was young, I was enamored by the red glowing rings on our stove. My mom told me not to touch them or I’d get burned ….so out of obedience, I didn’t…until I did. After that, they were no longer a temptation…I detested them. I saw them for what they were… dangerous.
If God calls something an abomination, I should never tolerate it. Yet I sometime chase after, depend on, and in some ways worship worthless things… and God says that is hazardous to my relationship with Him.
Idols aren’t exclusively golden sculptures… they come in the form of money, reputation, comfort, power… anything that competes with my allegiance to God. Preoccupation with these things is dangerous. I must, acknowledge that God is my King and be solely devoted to Him out of gratitude for my redemption.
Examine your heart this morning… Carefully analyze the list of things you hold as valuable and eliminate anything that detracts from your devotion to Jesus.
“You don't have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.”
- Dwight L. Moody
No comments:
Post a Comment