He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. [Psalm 147.10-11]
If we could just get this in our heads and hearts!
What makes you feel safe? If our answer is anything other than the LORD, we have failed the very litmus test for those who are in faith.
What are the things that vie for our trust? Money, medicine, government, science, technology, insurance, military, our house (locks, doors), and a storm shelter/safe room are just a few things that we might mistakenly trust instead of God.
The fact is, if our trust is not exclusively in the LORD our God, we risk violating His commandments regarding idolatry.
Then God gave the people all these instructions: “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.1-6]
What makes an idol an idol? Our worship of it. So, we might think, "well I am off the hook because I don't "worship" anything but God." But hang on just a sec, what is worship, and how does it apply to idols? The worship of idols recorded throughout the Bible involved people giving credit to numerous 'created' things for general or specific provision. For example when Israel made the golden calf at Mt Sinai and 'worshipped' it, what did they say? "These are the gods who brought us out of Egypt!" Cattle pulled their wagons, so Israel misappropriated their deliverance to cattle instead of to God.
Now, what might we attribute or even think does something for us? Money, medicine, government, science, technology, insurance, military, our house (locks, doors), and a storm shelter/safe room - just to name a very few.
I know, I know, I am taking this entirely too far, right?
Right?
Who determines what idol worship is? God does so, clearly in His Word. Idol worship is giving glory (attributing deliverance of any kind) to any thing other than God.
So, thank God for vaccines, right? Why not just thank God? Why pollute and dilute pure praise of God with anything else? Is it not because in our hearts we really don't think God can save us from disease unless we have a vaccine?
You know as well as I do what I have said here is true. Let's call a spade a spade: we trust science for our health and, in our guilt, throw God a 'shout-out' to ease our idolatrous conscience!
I for one am not satisfied with this human condition - my human condition! I want to be found in pure unadulterated faith in God alone. But how far will I go to insure I am doing so?
Good question - needs an answer...
Father, please forgive my idolatrous relationship with money, medicine, government, science, technology, insurance, military, my house (locks, doors), or a storm shelter/safe room (to name a few). I want to trust You and You alone regardless what ridicule might come my way for so doing.
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