My Daily Meditation
Idols
Friends, in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 44 vs 9-20 the prophet speaks on idolatry. Now Webster’s dictionary defines the word as such;
1. The worship of idols, images, or any thing made by hands, or which is not God.
Idolatry is of two kinds; the worship of images, statues, pictures, &c. made by hands; and the worship of the heavenly bodies,the sun, moon and stars, or of demons, angels, men and animals.
2. Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing, or that which borders on adoration.
Webster’s Dictionary Edition 1828
In essence it is anything that is put before the worship of God.
Friend, do lust after wealth? I have no qualms about a person attaining wealth and seeking it’s benefits not only to one’s self but as to how it can be used to help others, but my friend, when you seek it, and seek it with all your heart to the exclusion of seeking God, (or to that which is of God, such as family), that my friend is an idol.
What we read in Isaiah, is perhaps one of the best analogies of how false idolatry is, as compared to the Living God. He describes it as a man that carves an image out of wood, and falls down to worship it. Yet he takes another piece of this same wood and uses it to build items, and likewise uses it as a fuel to cook his food. My friends, how can one worship something that one uses as such? If it is also fit to be used to create chairs and tables for instance, and as a source of energy for mealtime, to what use would a God be? It neither sees, nor hears, but stands idly by collecting dust in a corner of a room. It speaks not, nor instructs one in the way to travel on the road of life. Additionally, we must make note that it is God, that created the tree that supplied the wood to be used as a tool for man. How can one worship something that God has created, in lieu of the Creator?
And so it is with all objects that we put before seeking God. Remember friends, that ALL blessings are from God, all good things are from Him that are a benefit to us, and to give glory to Him.
Now if I might digress, I had a dream, about a week or so ago, that I shared with one person. I will not go into the full details, but in one part, I was given a piece of paper and instructed to fold it into four, and place it in my pocket. This morning it was revealed to me what was written.
I am your God
You will seek nothing, nor put anything before me
I humble the proud, and raise the humble
Seek me
That is all it said, or has so far been revealed to me. It might be that those four boxes into which it was folded contain more, and if so, it will come when God tells me to share it.
My friends, I conclude this morning with urgent recommendation, seek Him first in all that you do, put nothing, absolutely nothing first. All that you seek, will come from Him in it’s time.
Father God, help me, help others to remember that it is You that are the Creator, and that we are the creation. It is right, and correct to seek You first in our lives, so that when we have Your ways established in our hearts, we can confidently go forth in this world, knowing full well, that You are with us, and bless us in all that we endeavor.
9 All they that make an image, are vanity, and their delectable things shall nothing profit: and they are their own witnesses, that they see not nor know: therefore they shall be confounded.
10 Who hath made a god, or molten an image, that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all that are of the fellowship thereof, shall be confounded: for the workmen themselves are men: let them all be gathered together, and stand up, yet they shall fear, and be confounded together.
12 The smith taketh an instrument, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms, yea, he is an hungered, and his strength faileth, he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretcheth forth a line, he fashioneth it with a red thread, he planeth it, and he portrayeth it with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, and according to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in an house.
14 He will hew him down cedars, and take the pine tree and the oak, and taketh courage among the trees of the forest; he planteth a fir tree, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 And man burneth thereof; for he will take thereof, and warm himself: he also kindleth it, and baketh bread, yet he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it an idol, and boweth unto it.
16 He burneth the half thereof even in the fire, and upon the half thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth the roast, and is satisfied; also he warmeth himself and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have been at the fire.
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his idol; he boweth unto it, and worshippeth and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18 They have not known, nor understood: for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heart, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burnt half of it, even in the fire, and have baked bread also upon the coals thereof: I have roasted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I bow to the stock of a tree?
20 He feedeth of ashes: a seduced heart hath deceived him, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
The Book of Isaiah Chapter 44:9-20
Read One Psalm a Day
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen
DALETH
25 My soul cleaveth to the dust: quicken me
according to thy word.
26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest
me: teach me thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts,
and I will meditate in thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth for heaviness: raise me up
according to thy word.
29 Take from me the way of lying, and grant me
graciously thy Law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth, and thy judgments
have I laid before me.
31 I have cleaved to thy testimonies, O Lord:
confound me not.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when
thou shalt enlarge mine heart.
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