“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they 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.” (Psa. 135:15-18)

The more I study the Bible and observe the natural behaviors and tendency of people, the more I realize how serious of an issue idolatry is. The reason it’s such a prevalent sin is because God has created us to be worshippers— we are naturally inclined to worship. The question is, who or what are we worshipping?

This passage reveals that those who trust in idols become like them. They may look good on the outside (i.e. of silver and gold), but are ugly on the inside. They may have mouths, but cannot speak life and love from the Spirit. They may have eyes, but are spiritually blind and cannot see the things of God. They may have ears, but are not able to hear God’s voice. They may have breath, but are actually more dead than they are alive.

The spiritual truth is that we take on the character of the things that we worship. Are we worshipping the one true God and making Him the focus of our lives, or are we worshipping the created things around us instead? Are we worshipping the creaTED or the creaTOR?

And I’m going to sound like a broken record, but we have to realize that the creaTED consists of things that may be inherently good or even beautiful: our spouses, our children, our homes, our material resources, our jobs, our ministries, etc. These things in themselves aren’t bad and are often provided by God to be a blessing in our lives.

But when we put these things ABOVE God and devote our focus and attention to them instead of firstly to our individual relationship with Him, then these can become idols. And of course the same is also true with things that are completely against God’s design… addictions, immorality, lust, selfishness and pride (a.k.a. idolizing ourselves), etc.

“He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’” (Rev. 14:7)

We were created to worship, and God calls us to worship. Choose today, who or what you worship and whom your house will serve. To worship idols are to become like them… but to worship God is to become more like Jesus!

Heavenly Father, help us to set our hearts, hopes, and desires firmly on You. By the conviction of Your Spirit, help us to recognize and clear away any idols in our lives that are keeping us from advancing our relationship with You. May You be the center of our worship! Amen!

[From November 23, 2018]