idols

^"18 To whom then will you liken God,

    or what likeness compare with him?
¹⁹ An idol! A craftsman casts it,
   and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
   and casts for it silver chains.
²⁰ He who is too impoverished for an offering
   chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
   to set up an idol that will not move.

 ²¹ Do you not know? Do you not hear?
   Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
²²It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
   and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
   and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
²³ who brings princes to nothing,
   and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

 ²⁴Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
   scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
    and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

 ²⁵ To whom then will you compare me,
   that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
²⁶Lift up your eyes on high and see:
   who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
   calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
   and because he is strong in power
   not one is missing.

 ²⁷Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
    and my right is disregarded by my God"?
²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹He gives power to the faint,
   and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary,
   and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint."

                       -Isaiah 40:18-31, ESV

Many people know the end of this chapter in Isaiah; "they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength..." But isn't interesting that there is a contrast set up between "they who wait for the Lord" and those who make idols (v 19-20)? It's almost as if Israel has turned to idols because they believe that, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God (v 27)". They thought that God had forgotten about them or was ignoring their situation, and therefore they constructed idols. 

And then Isaiah reminds them who God truly is. He doesn't forget about his people. Instead, He is everlasting, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never gets tired (even though they continually reject Him), He has unlimited understanding. He gives power to the weak, He calls the stars out by name...and how much more does He love Israel than the stars! 

Isn't it interesting that God promised Abraham that his lineage would be grow as numerous as the stars (Exodus 32:13), and then in Isaiah 40, God reminds Israel to look up to the stars to see His power and might? Almost as if He is reminding them of how he keeps his promises and is faithful. Not only that, but God calls the stars out by name! This parallelism then extends to mean that God calls his people by name; he is a personal God and he wants his people to love him- not idols!

Friends, what is your idol? What is replacing the one true God in your life? What are you spending time with that takes God's place? Are you focusing on pleasing people, getting in shape, getting good grades, having a lot of friends, or even doing 'good' things? I challenge you to re-focus your motivation for doing all of these things...are you doing them for the glory of your Creator, or are you doing them to take the place of living for your Creator?

Your way is not hidden from the Lord. Your right is not disregarded by God. Wait for the Lord; wait for the God whose understanding is unfathomable and whose strength is extended into those who are weak and admit their dependence on Him. Dependence on an idol will never give you strength. 

God's child

I have been studying who I am in Christ lately. Yesterday, I learned from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that I am God's valuable possession. I was bought with the high price of Jesus' blood and I am not my own. I belong to God as his possession.

I remind myself of this daily. When I feel worthless, I am God's prized possession. When I feel unwanted, I am bought with Christ's own blood. When I feel out of my own control, I belong to God and not to myself.

But what I learned today is from John 1:12 :

      "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God." 

The closest experience I have had thus far to actually having kids is this past summer, when I nannied for three children from my church. Those kids were dependent on me to teach them, feed them, discipline them...I cared for them tenderly. I carried the small 3 year old boy when he was tired and I put a band aid on his finger when he caused damage to himself by breaking something or doing something he should not have.

How much more does my Father care for me, his child? I can only imagine that everything that is true for how I care for the 3 year old boy is infinitely more true for how God cares for me. He blocks the routes that I want to take to destruction and temptation (Hosea 2). He alone sustains me- my food, my clothes, everything (Matthew 6). He knows my past and my future and my most intimate thoughts (Psalm 139). And all because I am his child! How incredible!

I am protected, loved, cared for, provided for, healed by and held by the best Father history has ever known.

Today in Christ and because of Christ, I am God's child.

today's prayer

Right after Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him, this is what happens:


"Peter asked Jesus, 'What about him, Lord?' 
Jesus replied, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.'" 
                                                              - John 21:21-22

My Prayer: 

Jesus, as I worry about today and begin comparing myself, remind me that I follow you, regardless of what others are doing. I sing to you, regardless of how others are singing. I live for you, regardless of how others are living. What are they to me? All I know for sure is that you love me and I am to follow you. May that be true of me today, tonight, and the rest of my life. "You follow me." - Jesus



"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock...Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify your name. All night long I search for you; earnestly I seek for God.

"Lord, you will grant us peace, for all we have accomplished is really from you. O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but we worship you alone. Those we served before are dead and gone. Never again will they return!"

                                          - Isaiah 26:3-4; 8-9; 12-14


My prayer:

God, lead me to the place where you want me. Show me where to serve. I know where my heart is leading me, but I want to hear from you.

It is wrong for me to dwell on anything but You, oh Lover of my soul. May my thoughts be fixed on you. Mold my heart more and more so that I can truthfully say that "my heart's desire is to glorify Your name!" Reveal to me that all of my earthly 'accomplishments' are really from you. I have never done, and never will do, anything alone or by my own power or ability.

Father, thank you for peace. Help me to trust in you so that I can experience that peace even more. You are my Rock.