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.