EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2026.
SUBJECT : DEPENDING ON YOUR POSSESSIONS IS IDOLATRY!
Memory verse: "Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10 vs 23.)
READ: Job 31 vs 24 vs 28:
31:24: If I have made gold my hope. Or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence';
31:25: If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gained much;
31:26: If I have observed the sun when it shines, or the moon moving in brightness,
31:27: So that my heart has been secretly enticed, And my mouth has kissed my hand;
31:28: This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgement, for I would have denied God who is above.
INTIMATION:
Idolatry is the worshipping of undeserving objects created by God, instead of God—the Creator of those things. In idol worship, people form statues of wood and stone, regard them as gods and worship them. Sometimes we think of idols as statues of wood and stone, but in reality an idol is anything natural that is given sacred value and power. The statues of object were not evil in themselves, but people gave them credit for what only God could do, such as provide good weather, crops, children, happiness etc.
Idolatry is still a serious problem today, but it takes a different form. We don’t put our trust in statues of wood and stone but in paper money and plastic cards. Putting our trust in anything but God is idolatry. Our modern idols are those symbols of power, pleasure, or prestige that we so highly regard. Putting our trust in anything rather than God violates the very first commandment of God—“You shall no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20 vs 3). And Jesus reemphasized this Commandment in Matthew 4 vs 10, “Worship the LORD your God, and only Him shall you serve.”
In the passage we read today, Job affirmed that depending on wealth for happiness is idolatry and denies our Father in heaven. Jesus’ authority is established over all of creation so we dare not treat any created object or earthly resource as more important than He is. When we spend more time on ourselves than on serving Christ, we treat ourselves (His creation) as being more important than our Creator. When we regard our finances, rather than our faith in Christ, as the basis for security, we give higher status to an earthly resource than we do to God.
Our dependence on what God has given us, like money and possessions, is an acceptance of our society's obsession with such things as a necessary evil or "the way it works" in the modern world. Although, every society in every age has valued the power and prestige that money brings, but true believers must purge themselves of the deep-seated desire for such things as more power, prestige, and possessions. They must also put their absolute trust in God, and use the resources given to them for service unto Him and humanity.
Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about God. Instead of looking to Him as Creator and Sustainer of life, they see themselves as the center of the universe. They soon invent “gods” that are convenient projections of their own selfish ideas. These God’s may be wooden figures, or they may also be goals or things we pursue, such as money, power, or possessions. They may even be misrepresentations of God Himself— making God in our image, instead of the reverse.
The common denominator is this: Idolaters worship the things God made rather than God Himself. Is there anything you feel you cannot live without? Is there any priority greater than God? Do you have a dream you would sacrifice everything to realize? Does God take first place in your life? Do you worship God or idols of your own making?
The answers to the above listed questions, and also the following questions will be of immense help to discern the ideal life expected of a believer: Who created Me? Whom do I ultimately trust? Whom do I look to for ultimate truth? Whom do I look to for security and happiness? Who is in charge of my future?
Idolatry is the greatest sin against God because it’s rejection of God Himself. When you have any other gods, rather than the only God, you cannot be His own, and no matter how faithfully you keep other nine commandments you can’t please Him, hence He made this the first commandment. Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security.
No normal person sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts, emotions, and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.
Prayer: Abba Father, You are God, the only God I know and serve. In You I live, and move and have my being. Whatever will come between You and I let me not have it. Whatever will take my attention and trust away from You let me not live to see it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
No comments:
Post a Comment