What Were We Thinking?

Jeremiah 10:3-5 says,

"…For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. {4} They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. {5} Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."

    Are we not just like these pagan idol worshippers sometimes? It seems like we work so hard to create something that we think has such incredible value and then we let it run our lives. What is that? Why do we do that? We create a business that becomes something that occupies all of our time and energy and mental power. We create a program that requires everything we have to maintain it and we are consumed by the program needs. We work hard, save money, buy something really nice like a condo, timeshare, massive vacation, a boat, a lake cottage or a camper! Then we spend all of our time and energy planning around how to make the best use of IT! Certainly, we do not worship those things. Certainly, we do not let them power over us. Certainly, we don't spend everything that we have to maintain, preserve or improve our "idol" so that it will not topple over. And yet – often there is something that seems to draw us in like that.

What is it for you?

Jeremiah 10:6-7 says there is only One who is worthy of that type of worship. Only One who we can honor or revere that actually deserves it!

"No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. {7} Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you."

 

There is no one like our God. There is no THING like our God! I am ascribing honor and glory to the only one worthy of worship – The Lord God Almighty is His name (vs 16)!

I Will Praise You …

There are so many days that I get up and begin my day with a time of reading the Bible and praying. It is a habit and yet it is sometimes so "routine" that I forget what I am doing and why. I read through a few passages and make a few notes and sometimes write in my journal – those are some of the most meaningful times because I have to intentionally think about what I am writing – and then I pray…God thanks for …Help me with…Help so and so… Bless the missionaries… I know, it is not always that routine or mundane and it is normally very specific rather than vague generalities but some days it sounds so repetitive and, yes, selfish.

Psalm 138 – whoa… no attention on me here! In fact – the focus is all on praising God! how? "with all my heart". I realize that there are so many times that I do not praise Him enough but even when I do – I am not doing it with ALL my heart (usually) because of the other distractions that go on. This Psalm teaches me to focus my attention on praising Him and being a testimony before others about Him.

Bowing down – is my heart submitted to my heart's Creator?

Do I exalt the name and word of God above all other things?

God deserves our praise and worship. God does not NEED it but He is the only one WORTHY of it. When we praise Him, when we submit to Him, when we acknowledge Him before all men, when we call out to Him because we know that He is all we need and He is the only supplier of that which we need…then we find ourselves being under His care, protection, His salvation.

Verse 8 – "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever, do not abandon the works of your hands."

I will praise you because that is all I really can do.