Are you counting on idols?

Pr. 25: 19:  “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.”

Recently, I was part of a conversation about a statue of Buddha.  It was proclaimed that the statue would bring tranquility, peace, and serenity to a room.  My thoughts immediately went to Jesus.  In Micah 5:5, it was said of Jesus that, “this One shall be peace.”  He doesn’t just bring peace.  He IS peace.

In John 14:27, Jesus reassured that when He went to heaven He would leave peace:  “Peace I leave you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”   He left peace we can neither fathom nor replicate.

Paul encouraged the people of Philippi to be anxious for nothing, knowing that if they presented their requests to God, with thanksgiving, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, would guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  This promise is true for us, as well.

We can trust in the Lord because He is faithful and His Word proves it.  If we put our trust in the unfaithful statue of a man long gone, we are out of joint.

The Lord clearly said that we should not make for ourselves carved images to which we would bow.  Are we truly trusting in and submitting to the statue of Buddha, or any other earthly trinket to bring us peace?  If so, we must re-examine our hearts.  Are we doing exactly what the Lord told us not to do?

In our society almost anything goes.  I’ve seen Buddha statues in the trendiest of stores.  I’ve seen other gods and symbols of “life” dressed up in the most “harmless” of ways.  The bottom line; however, is that they are still idols.  1 John 5:21 quite simply says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

If we find more peace in a trinket than we do in the Word of God, then something is gravely out of joint in our hearts.  Satan loves to distract us and to get our eyes off of God, but what’s worse is that this can curse our families for generations.  (see ex. 20:4-6)

Josiah was once the king of Jerusalem.  When he turned 16 he began to seek the God of his father David.  Four years later he began breaking down altars and purging Judah and Jerusalem of the wooden, carved, and molded images.  After seeking the One true God, Josiah understood that there is but One God, who is the Lord, and that we are to have no other gods before Him.  God rewarded Josiah and blessed the land around him because of his humility and faithfulness.

God will do the same for us.  Ex. 20:6 tells us that He will show mercy to thousands to those who love Him and keep His commandments.  We can bless our family for generations by being faithful to the only One who is faithful.  If we place our confidence in an unfaithful man, we will reap trouble, and true peace will always be out of reach.  If we trust in the God of David, peace will be a natural fruit of our life.

Trusting in the great I AM,

jamie

 

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