Obscure Idols

Colossians 3:5 "Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry."

I had a large TV sitting next to a window by my dining table. The funny thing was that when I would mention it, people that had been to my apartment did not remember seeing it. Even though it was large, it blended in because it had been there so long. In the story of David and Michal found in 1 Samuel 19. At this point, Saul has been rejected as king of Israel because of his disobedience to God, and he has become very jealous of David because of his success over the Philistines. To escape another murderous attempt from Saul, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife lowers David through a window. She then “took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat’s hair on its head and covered with a garment.” (1 Samuel 10:13). My thought on this passage was wow that had to be a big idol if it could have been mistaken for a man! We have no reason to believe that Michal did not worship idols, she was not a righteous woman, but how crazy it is to have such a large piece of wood to worship! My question is though how often do we have idols in our lives; either physical or emotional that are idols that are that big. But too often they are so large that they blend in with the background, just like my TV did. We need to not continue to over look them and let them blend in, but instead expose them, and get rid of them. Jeremiah eloquently describes for us the difference between idols and the one true God in Jeremiah 10. Idols ” cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves” vs. 5, “But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine Silver is beaten into plates; it is brought from Tarshish, And gold from uphaz, the work of the craftsman, And of the hands of the metal smith. Blue and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.” But in regards to the one true God “there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and your name is great in might), who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.” vs. 6-7 “ But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.” Vs. 10 We should pray that God will expose the idols in our life that are keeping us from him. To expose the idols that might now be obscure and blending in the background because they have been their so long. To expose the idols that are worthless and pointless and foolish, that we might be able to have pure devotion to our Lord. The one true, great and mighty God.

Rejoicing through Difficulty

Hab 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

This passage is definitely a word picture of a difficult time. We all face difficult times, and trials. And yet how often during trials do we still rejoice in the Lord? Over the past several months I have found myself going through various trials that I never quite suspected. Nothing close to what is described in this passage in Habakkuk. But I had really felt that the Lord wanted me to truly pursue him, without any distraction. Each and every day I make decisions that either glorifies the Father, or they don’t. I make decisions in which I choose to follow Christ, or I choose to disobey. I have no excuses. I know that if I don’t establish God as my priority now, then it will only get harder as time goes on, and my distractions and trials become greater. Just recently I have found myself barely able to move with my whole semester and present situation in a quandary. But through it all, I don’t really know what the Lord’s plan may be, but my prayer is that it will draw me closer to him. Through it all, I realize that no matter what I go through, no matter how big or how small, God is my refuge. And even through it all, he is still protecting me and guiding me. I am so unworthy of the Lord’s amazing graciousness. I am so undeserving but he freely bestows his amazing, and incomprehensible love. Though trials may come, I pray that my faith will as Habakkuk's that “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior, The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet off a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”