Isaiah 44:14-19
He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
I got knocked off my high horse first thing this morning, and I’m loving it! This chapter is talking about the Israelites forming gods for themselves out of stone and wood and how useless these are! I got to the part where Isaiah says, basically, “How dumb are you people? You used half of the log to burn for warmth and to cook your food and half of it to make a worthless idol!” I’m like, “Yeah, get ‘em, Isaiah!!”
Then God started to deal with me and showed me I’m just like them! When a financial crisis hits, do I check my bank account or my prayer account first? When someone hurts me, do I seek comfort from God or earthly comforts first? When someone angers me, am I quick to forgive or fillet them with my tongue? See, all of these things can be idols and are just as dumb for me to do as fashioning something with my hands to worship!
The wood wasn’t an idol until they turned it into one. It wasn’t sin till they made it sin! The same can be said about money, family, or friends. They are great to have and gifts from God, as long as they aren’t before God! Just because I’m not setting a wooden idol up on my mantel doesn’t mean I haven’t set one on the throne of my heart! I pray we all remember that the throne is Jesus’. He paid for it dearly! So, let’s make sure we always save that seat for Him!
I love you all, God bless, and now more than ever, give God all the glory!
Isaiah 44:14,15, 19
He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it…No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat, and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
Idolatry, at its core, is ridiculous and ignorant, but the question that came to my mind is, why do we still fall for it? We can see how blatant and obnoxious it is, but why do we still struggle with it today? Think about the god we make money out to be. We create it and assign a value to it, yet we let it tell us how important and valuable we are! How sad is it that the thing that rides around in our pockets and gets lost in couch cushions is a god some of us serve? When we really stop and think about it, it is absurd, but it’s a pitfall many of us fall into, whether consciously or subconsciously.
It doesn’t have to be money. Some of us worship or rely on ourselves. We say “ I can handle this on my own” or, “Trust me, I got this” or, “I’m an adult; I can make my own decisions!” I don’t know about you, but I know what I’m capable of on my own, and it’s not pretty or pleasing. But the world tells us that we can do for ourselves whatever we want, but God’s Word tells us that we are desperately lost and doomed without Him! That our reliance has to be on God alone, or we’re gonna fall and fail.
We were made to worship, and if we don’t worship God, then we will find other things to try to fill that hole. The problem is that it’s a God-sized hole, and there is the only One who is big enough to fill it! This isn’t a post to beat us down or bring condemnation but to bring awareness and self-examination. Let the Holy Spirit lead us, and let’s ask ourselves this question: are we chasing the God of all creation or the created god?
Isaiah 44:20-22 - Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you. You are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
God bless! I love you all, but He loves you so much more! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit who leads us if we let Him!
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