Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Tuesday's Truths

For todays Tuesday's Truths we are going to join In Other Words. For more info on that click on the Internet Cafe on the right.



"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before... either into a creature that is in harmony with God ...or into one that is in a state of war with God. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other."
~ C.S. Lewis ~
Mere Christianity


Exodus 32 tells us about the time when the Israelites, began to worship idols because they had not seen Moses for 40 days. Really it is amazing to me that after having seen everything they had seen they so quickly stopped trusting God and made an idol.

He (Aaron) took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

How quickly they were willing to create their own god and attribute to this god the mighty works they had seen buy God the Father. In my Bible study last night we talked about how idol worship was probably the old standby for the Israelites after generations in Egypt. This was something they had seen done for generations one can suppose, and it was easy to fall back into when they were scared.

I have to admit that going into Bible Study last night, I thought “I don’t have trouble with idolatry; I’ve never made a Golden Calf in my life!” Boy did I have a thing or two to learn. I just as easily fall back to the familiar when I am scared. When I forget to trust God, I begin trusting others or things.

My husband or my friends become my sounding board and confidants. Instead of taking things to the Father, I take them to my husband or friends first. I seek their advice before the Fathers.

I trust my savings account, 401K, and my retirement plans to get me by, instead of the One who controls everything. I trust my husband’s ability to work to provide for us instead of the One who created his body with the ability to work. I trust my ability to plan for our future above the One who created my future.

As I read the rest of Chapter 32, I realized how very unhappy this idolatry of the Israelites made God. Many of them were killed, and God sent the rest plagues.

I am so glad that I have Jesus! I am so glad that I have the Holy Spirit to guide me. I am so glad that I have a merciful God who is slow to anger.

I think idol worship is something we all do. As a baby Christian, you start to understand that the love of money may be an idol you need to let go of. You begin working on that with Gods help. Then as you grow He begins to show you other areas of idolatry. I think as we grow as Christians we begin to let go of the things we trust more than God. It is a process, it is growth.

Just like David I pray…Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

6 comments:

Crystal said...

Yes we do all have idols in our life that we need to deal with on a consistant basis.....great post!
Thanks for sharing
Blessings

Susanne said...

In this western society it is especailly easy for us to have so many idols and ones we are not even aware that we have. Great reminder to always seek God first in all.

Denise said...

Enjoyed your post, thanks.

Cyndi said...

I loved how you pointed out some of the other "idols" we so often have. I used to wag my finger at those Israelites until I realized how I am just as prone to find a "golden calf" of my own so much of the time... Great post!

Delete said...

Great post Tricia! It is so true that we don't realize all of the idols that we really do put before God!

Christine said...

Great post! I agree that we learn as we mature what idols we face. Some good things God gives us can be idols- it's not just the bad!

Thanks for participating this week!