The Delusion of Idols

"The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear,

nor is there breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them,

and so will all who trust in them."

Psalm 135:15-18

Relationships.  Success.  Romantic love.  Sex.  Power.  Money.  Financial Security.  Comfort.  Adventure.  Education.  Materialism.  Science.  Food.  Self-fulfillment.  Self.  There are many idols which mankind worships.  It's easy to get my priorities off, to place my trust in something or someone other than God, to give away God's rightful place at the center of my attentions.  

While I'm quick to wander away from my First Love, I am only deluding myself when I do (Revelation 2:4).

Impotent.  Whatever basket in which I place my eggs will one day bust wide open, spilling all my hopes and dreams onto the floor in a sticky mess.  Anything in which I lean on, putting my confidence in, is created.  Everything that has ever been made receives its power from its Creator.  Nothing in all of existence, then, has any power unto itself except for God.  Therefore, I am trusting in an impotent object whenever I have faith in anything or anyone other than the Almighty; a risky proposition, wouldn't you agree?

Yet I often go there, believing scientific findings hold the answers to my deepest questions, or medical research is my hope for healing, or my best shot at a meaningful life will come once I attain that diploma.  We all pin our hopes on something that is unable to deliver, that was never meant to carry us through, that can't do all that we want it to do.  Only God is able to do more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Only God has the power I need.

Anything other than God will let me down because it is impotent to generate the change I need, the love I crave, the security I seek.

Useless.  A carved image made by man's hands sits on the altar.  It may have eyes, but they're only for looks.  It might have a mouth, but no words every emerge from it.  I can see ears formed on the side of its head, but it never gives any indication that it hears me.  I can pour my heart out, crying tears of desperation before it, but it will never respond.  I'm better off confiding in my dog; at least he will act like he cares.

While I have never placed my hope in an idol made of wood or stone, I have trusted in things that will never be able to help me.  I hear the common sense that comes from television personalities and I try to imagine in vain how they might respond if I were able to seek their advice (1 Corinthians 3:19).  Or I cry my eyes out over a sink of suds, feeling a sense of relief but never finding the peace I need (Philippians 4:6-7).  Or I spend hours researching answers on the Internet, but never seem to find anything that will truly help me (James 1:5).  All on which I pin my hopes is useless.

Looking for help in anything other than God is an exercise in futility because even if it promises the answers I need, its assurances are empty and useless, like the eyes, mouth and ears carved on a wooden idol.

Transformational.  It occurs without fail.  No matter how hard I may try to resist, I am unable to stop it from happening.  Even if I have the best intentions, I'll soon find myself where I never wanted to be.  Idols have a way of sucking me into their world and before I know it, I'll resemble them in some way, kind of like how dogs and their masters end up looking alike.

I become like what I worship.  Whatever I adore or look up to will influence me in ways I don't even realize.  If I want to become more cold-hearted, I need look no further than technology where the latest and greatest is always sought and there is never a thought to the human behind the device.  If it's temporary satisfaction I desire, I can place sex and sensual pleasures on a pedestal, and I'll find myself always wanting more.  If it's emptiness and a feeling of meaningless is what I want, I can place my hopes in modern science where I'm nothing more than an accident, here completely by chance. 

Since I become like whatever I look up to, worshiping anything other than God will lead me to become more and more like the world that is headed toward destruction.

There are a million places where I can place my faith.  When I trust in anything besides God, I will find such an idol to be impotent to help me, useless in every way, and transformational in it's influence.  Therefore, I would be wise to make it my intention to keep God at the center of my vision, pinning all my hopes on Him.  He will never let me down: In Him there are no delusions.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with all of my heart.

When do I find myself becoming someone I never wanted to be, not realizing that I am simply being influenced by whatever it is I'm revering as the next best thing.

How am I fooling myself into believing I don't have an idol problem?

  

God is Greater

"Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
   sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
   Israel to be his treasured possession.

 I know that the LORD is great,
   that our Lord is greater than all gods."

Psalm 135:3-5

"The secret of the mystery is: God is always greater.  No matter how great we think Him to be, His love is always greater."

Brennan Manning

Sometimes I think I have God all figured out.  In my mind, I believe that I know how things will turn out based on past experiences, or what lessons someone will learn because I discovered a certain truth from a similar incident.  But God constantly surprises me and I have to humble myself and admit that I know nothing about God.

The human mind is not large enough to comprehend the greatness of God.   I can study God my whole life, experience a lifetime of God-encounters and think I have a handle on Him, but I have only scratched the surface.  God is so much more than my puny mind can grasp.

There are many reasons to celebrate the fact that we worship a God who is greater. 

Troubles

Jesus warned us that life would be filled with difficulties and tribulations.  He said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)  God is greater than anything I can face.  Sickness.  Death.   Financial disaster.  Fear.   Hunger.   Homelessness.   Loneliness.   

He is greater than all these things.  Trusting in Him may not make my troubles go away or my situation improve, but will give me a sense of peace, quiet strength and a hope for better things to come.  If not here on earth, than in heaven with Him.

God is greater than any tribulation I may face.

Evil

I don't think anyone could argue against the fact that the world in which we live is evil.  Just look at how children and animals are treated.  Statistics show that children dying in the United States from the effects of abuse has risen from 3.13 per day in 1998 to over 5 children dying daily at the hand of an abuser in 2010.  But death is not the only consequence of abuse.  Other results include a higher risk of out of wedlock pregnancies in abused girls, an elevated incidence of criminal behavior and incarceration of mistreated and neglected individuals as well as an almost certain development of a psychological disorder of some kind. 

Studies show that where abusers target children, they also victimize pets.  Add to that the flourishing market found for the human slave trade throughout the world, the existence of serial killers, cruel dictatorships and religious warfare and we can easily conclude that we live in an evil world. 

It is easy for me to fall into despair in light of all the suffering going on around me.  But God has a plan.  He did not leave me here without reason!  He placed me here in order that I would shine as a beacon of hope in a dark world.  Jesus shines through me and out to those who are suffering in darkness because He promised to never leave me, even in the most wicked of times. 

God and His plan are greater than all the suffering found in this evil world.

I am His

Perhaps the most astounding thing about God's greatness is that He would choose to relate to such lowly creatures as those He has created.  As a sinful woman who has fallen far short of God's standards, He could easily cast me aside as unworthy of His goodness. 

But His love is greater than that.  In fact He, "demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)  Even though He is far greater than my comprehension, He chooses to make a way through faith in Jesus for me to enter into an intimate Father/daughter relationship with Him.

God's love is greater than my sin.

One of my favorite songs is Chris Tomlin's "Our God is Greater."  As you listen, take a moment to meditate on God's greatness which transcends our troubles, overcomes all evil and is great enough to love me as a precious daughter.  God is greater!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will remember His greatness when fear or troubles threaten to overcome me.

When do I take for granted the love God has for me?  How can I better pass that love on to a hurting world?

How can knowing God is greater than anything I can face change the way I handle difficulties?