Psalm 135:12–21 12And gave their land for an heritage, An heritage unto Israel his people. 13Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; And thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations. 14For the Lord will judge his people, And he will repent himself concerning his servants. 15The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 16They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; 17They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18They that make them are like unto them: So is every one that trusteth in them. 19Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron: 20Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: Ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. 21Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
Do I practice idolatry?
I asked myself this question and quickly answered, “of course not, Bald Believer!”.
(Yes, I do talk to myself and answer but that is a subject for another blog.)
It was then Holy Spirit of God spoke from within me and said, “are you certain?”
No, I have never chiseled out of stone an image and directed my prayers toward it. I have never bowed before a doll, picture, or some other object in defiance of the first two of the ten commandments. I have often caught myself serving something else. I have often found myself focusing far too much attention on money, sex, people, or things. I seek satisfaction in things other than my Savior, taking him off of the throne of my heart and replacing him with some undeserving usurper.
Do I practice idolatry?
Unfortunately, I sometimes do!
That is the subject of the second part of Psalm 135. It began by listing a few reasons to praise and worship God, the remainder of the psalm is a quote from Psalm 115:4-8 and provides a couple of reasons not to worship anything other than the One who deserves our praise.
1. We shouldn’t worship anything other than God because those substitutes ignore us
Psalm 135:15-17 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
When you need them in a time of trouble those other gods won’t comfort, they won’t hear, they certainly won’t breathe life into you. The shallow substitutes that dominate our time and attention won’t be there for us in our time of need. That is why it is wise to look make your life about praising the true God not live for the false ones.
2. We shouldn’t worship anything other than God because those substitutes change us
Psalm 135:18 They that make them are like unto them: So is everyone that trusteth in them.
When we devote ourselves to objects, we will begin to take on their heartlessness and coldness. I know, I have found myself concentrating on things and found myself growing more selfish. Living to praise the true God gives purpose while living in the pursuit of pleasures leaves one empty and unfulfilled.
My God hears my prayers, cares about my cries, and truly satisfies so he is deserving of my praise.
Do I practice idolatry?
Yes, sometimes I catch myself doing it but I want to stop. Is anyone else with me?
Readings for 12/1/20