Daily Power #179

“So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them.” (Deut. 4:16–19 NLT)

In today’s passage, we see God dealing with a specific problem. His children were distracted and probably a little desperate, so they started worshiping golden calves, cedar poles, statues, the moon, and the sun.

Those objects sound irrelevant and even silly to us—having no bearing on modern-day life. And yet today, our pursuits and the things that get the majority of our time, money, and attention are no more worthy of worship. For instance, we have a generation still being seduced by our social standing. How many followers do we have? How many likes did we get?

Still resisting the possibility that you’re idolizing technology? Think of it this way. Someone said idolatry is making a good thing an ultimate thing. Idolatry is taking something, anything, and making it bigger than it should be in our lives.

Maybe for you it’s a girlfriend or boyfriend, a husband or a wife, an obsession with a celebrity or a sports team. It could be a certain job or an impressive title. A corner office or your own company expense account. It might be a certain amount of money in the bank or the perfect tropical vacation.

How have you filled in this blank most of your life? If only I had [blank], then I would be happy and fulfilled. Were you aware this was replacing God in your life? How should you handle this idol?

Power Lift

Lord, I don’t want anything to come between us. You are my God, and idols can never compare.