Who's Idea?

“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. For it was I, the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. “But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around. So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas. Oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be upon their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him; they would be doomed forever. But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.” [Psalm 81.8-16]

How does God feel about all our knowledge, technology, and advancements today?

Do we dare ask that question?

There is a phrase in the passage above that should make us pay attention: "...living according to their own ideas." That pretty much sums up knowledge, technology and advancements today.

Hmm.

The problem doesn't as much lie in knowledge, technology and advancements as it does in what we do with them. We trust them. The real problem then is that God is not too keen on us trusting anything besides Him. In fact, God is repeatedly on record of sternly warning us (as in the passage above) against trusting anything except Him. God wants us to listen to Him and Him alone!

When society as a whole has become largely dependent upon its knowledge, technology and advancements, the mandate to trust God alone becomes a real "grey area" - at least in the minds of those steeped more in their society than in God's Word. God has no confusion about it whatsoever. His Word is clear: He wants our trust to be in Him alone. It is man who necessitates a "grey area" to sooth his own conscious.

The simplicity with which Jesus describes this is profound:

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew 6.31-34]

But, don't we actually need our knowledge, technology and advancements to survive in today's society?

You tell me... Is that God's idea or our own?

Father, help us all to constantly review what we are trusting in. May we be found trusting in You and You alone!