Cortland Trinity Baptist Church

     The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape—a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships—carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: “Ah, this is the life.” And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design—a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, “Save me. You’re my god.” Isaiah 44:13-17 Msg

     You have to love God’s sarcasm. He is definitely putting idol worship in the category of “really stupid.” Cut down a tree and use some of it to build a fire and cook a meal and with the rest, make yourself an idol. Paul the apostle refers to them as “dumb idols” in 1 Corinthians 12:2 (not to be confused with American Idol however, there may be come correlation!) Ah, a perfect segue into the issue of modern day idolatry.

     According to Webster idolatry is “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God. So, aren’t we acting the fool when we do our own version of God replacement?

     Just about anything can become an idol. We can replace devotion to the true God with devotion to money, cars, toys, snow mobiles (adult toy), sports, entertainment and other people. But whatever our idol of choice might be we must admit that it is always stupid to worship anything or anyone other than the one true living God.

     But it is easy for us to let other things win our devotion. The lyrics in the Steve Green song I Repent says it well. “I regret the hours I have wasted and the pleasures I have tasted that you were never in. And I confess that though your love is in me, it doesn’t always win me when competing with my sin.” We must humbly admit that this is too often the case in our lives and we do need to repent of it. And we need to pray much about keeping our hearts fully devoted to the Lord.

     Spiritual unfaithfulness is repulsive to God. James says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). We’re all capable of it. We all do it. The sooner we admit it the sooner we can be the recipients of God’s amazing grace that not only forgives but restores us to that intimate love relationship with Him.

     But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6).