"Who is YOUR God?"

Consider a man who cuts down a tree.  With some of the wood he builds a fire to warm himself.  With some more of the wood, he kindles a fire in order to prepare a meal.  Then, with what is left over, he carves an image, falls down before it, and worships it.

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah referred to this practice, which was then a very common one, trying to show the absurdity of it.  Isaiah lamented:  "No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, ‘Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’" (Isaiah 44:19).  Isaiah concluded that those who would do such a thing - "know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand" (Isaiah 44:18).

Modern man looks upon this as strange and foolish - a pagan practice.  Yet, there are many TODAY who are STILL steeped in idolatry!

Broadly speaking, an idol is ANYTHING that comes between a person and the One, TRUE God.  By this definition, an idol may be a carved image made of wood or stone, OR it may also be possessions, work, entertainment, relationships, or ANYTHING ELSE that we allow to take priority, thus separating us from God and His will for our lives.

Materialism is probably the greatest form of idolatry in the world today!  MANY bow down to the god of materialism.  Their focus in life is making money, thinking that wealth is the key to happiness in life.  MANY are consumed with this pursuit to the exclusion of a life giving relationship with their Creator.

This phenomenon is NOT new.

A rich young ruler came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”  Jesus said to him, “You know the commandments:  ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”  The rich young ruler responded, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.  What do I still lack?”  Jesus said, “One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  “BUT - when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22).

The rich young ruler had no problem with the commandments that Jesus listed from the Ten Commandments; he had kept them faithfully.  However, one commandment that Jesus did NOT list – the one that the rich young ruler would NOT obey – was the FIRST of the Ten Commandments:  “You shall have no other gods before Me”  (Exodus 20:3).  Materialism had become the god of the rich young ruler.  The love of wealth was the idol that he had placed before the One, TRUE God.

From the words of Isaiah, “Thus says the Lord… ‘I am the First and the Last; Besides Me there is NO God’” (Isaiah 44:6).

What is OUR response?  Let us cast down our idols!  Let us put God FIRST above EVERYTHING and EVERYONE else.  Let us submit to Him, placing our trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6) and being baptized in the name of His Son, Jesus, SO THAT...
our SINS may be washed away (Acts 22:16).

Let us NEVER be guilty of putting ANYTHING or ANYONE above Him.  He is the One, True LIVING God!

Question: Is He YOUR God?

Have YOU obeyed the gospel? (click here)

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister 

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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