Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry

By the power of your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones. May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants. [Psalm 17.14]

How does God feel about us trusting the world and its devices? According to the Psalmist (David, in this case), destruction is the lot of the faithless.

But let us consider further the implications of looking to this world for our reward. If we do so, we are NOT looking to God for our reward, In other words, then, we are committing spiritual adultery and idolatry.

So, I found myself in this conversation just yesterday... Is it right for us to depend on the world's system of health to keep us healthy and alive? Is it right for us to depend on the worlds's system of wealth to keep us fed and provided for?

I know, I know, I am going off the deep end here, right?

Or am I?

We make all these hollow claims about God being our everything, but when we get sick or in trouble, who are we depending on to get us through? Oh sure, we start off 'depending on God', but  after we endure all we think we can endure of whatever hardship, sickness, or financial struggle we face, we turn to our real god - the god of this world and its systems of health and wealth.

But God gave us these worldly systems, right? God gave us wisdom to learn about medicine and money, right? God gave us these things to bless us, right?

Did God give us medical science as a fallback in case He didn't come through with a miraculous healing? Think about it, if God doesn't heal us, then He must not want us healed, right? If God's will is not to heal us, then why in the world would we seek healing elsewhere (if it is God's will not to heal us)?

In today's OYCB reading we have an interesting verse about those who trust God, "Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts." [Psalm 15.4]

What? Keeping a promise about what? Maybe a promise of loyalty?

In a recent conversation, I posed a statement that perhaps we should just die if God does not heal us.

With all the hoopla going on in today's society about health insurance, can we really still say it is a blessing from God? Is it not ironic that that which we trust in has begun to cost us more than any other aspect of living?

Christians, we need to get real with what we are saying. We would be better off to simply state that we are NOT trusting God at all than to lie to ourselves and the world that "God is our healer." AND, if we say we are trusting God for our health, then whatever health comes should be our lot in life.

Yes, all this talk is radical... kind of reminds me of a man who once said, "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" [Jesus - Matthew 6.30]

Father, I have been faithless. Please forgive me. I want to trust You even if it kills me. I don't want it said, "he tried to trust You but it didn't work, so he went to the world and its systems."