March 03, 2020
Throughout the Bible, God calls people to lay down their idols and come and worship and serve Him alone. This is not a mindless command from God, but is backed by a very important reason. He explains this through Moses to the Israelites in Leviticus 26.
‘You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.
An idol is described in the dictionary as “an object of extreme devotion.” It is something that you revere, you love. That you feel you must have in your life. That you will make sacrifices for.
We have been making idols since the beginning of time. In some societies it was represented by idols of wood and stone. In our day, it’s the idols of power, comfort, pleasure, or materialism. The things we think we cannot do without and that we live for.
“FOR”
We are told the reason that worshiping someone or something other than God is so abhorrent to God. It’s represented in the little word “for.” “You shall not make for yourselves idols … FOR I am the LORD your God.
God is trying to make them (and us) understand why this is so foolish. There is only one God. He made us, sustains us, and is the only One who can forgive us and change us. To have Him is to have eternal life. To not have Him is to face eternal death. He is the only One who can provide for us through “all of His riches in Christ Jesus.” He clothes the lilies of the field and He can clothe us. And on and on.
He is the great and only I AM. Why would you worship anything else? If you have Him you have everything. Without Him, you have nothing that matters or lasts.
Therefore, complete and total surrender to God and unending worship to the Father makes total sense.
THE QUESTION
… is whether you have allowed other false gods, counterfeit deities, to take first place in your heart. If you have, it’s time to walk away from such worthless worship and return to Him. He is the Lord your God and there is no other.
Father, thank You that there is no rival and there is no equal to You. There is no value in looking anywhere else but to You. In serving anyone or anything else but You. Show me any foolish idols I have lifted up in my affections, and let me gladly turn from them to the one true God! And thank You that You are willing to be “my God!” That You offer to me and intimate, personal relationship with You through Jesus Christ.
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