When God drives a point home…
God has been hitting me over the head recently with a repeated theme.
It has to do with idolatry and if He is trying to get your attention on the issue, then I pray the Lord use this to give you yet another thunk from a fellow learner.
You are welcome.
In addition to just about every sermon, podcast and meditation I pick up the last month or so, I am doing the study No Other Gods by Kelly Minter with a friend.
(HIGHLY recommend the study, as in DO IT!!)
So as you might suspect, all of these various sources of teaching have touched on the fact that building an actual wooden, brass, gold or what-have-you statue and bowing down to it is not really the issue for me.
No, the issue is that I have given a measure of devotion to a person, place, idea or thing that should be reserved exclusively for God alone.
Which brings me to the point of today’s post.
I know…you probably thought I had already made my point…but no…here it is…
Today, as I delved further into this study by Kelly AND read my morning devotion from Seasons of the Heart..both women wrote basically the same warning about the heart and mind being led astray from the sincere and focused worship of God alone.
Frances Ridley Havergal wrote in the mid 1800’s and urged Christ followers of her day to not fill their minds with the empty offerings of entertaining writing that would distract but never fill the hungry soul.
“Eat that which is good. Isaiah 55:2; Good, wholesome, delicious food set plentifully before us,and yet we have to be told to eat that which is good and to let rubbish and poison alone! Is it not humiliating? ….How much are we going to eat today in proportion to that which does not satisfy?”
Seasons of the Heart; June 24th, Reformation Heritage Books
A century and a half later, Kelly encourages us with these words:
“Most of us are not choosing friends who are slanderous, self-absorbed, abusive, conceited, and disrespectful, but perhaps these traits are ‘creeping’ (KJV 2 Timothy 3:1-5) into our lives during prime time, at the movies, in our favorite magazine, and on our iPads.” No Other Gods page 68; Lifeway Press 2007, 2013
Her study points out that much of what we call “entertainment” is pouring ideologies and deceptions into our heads that will leave our souls hungry.
I don’t watch a lot of TV, rarely see a movie and stay away from fiction novels completely.
But I can feed this starving soul for far longer than I care to admit on the high calorie/low nutrition of social media.
Sure there are some Scripture verses out there…and some great devotions and inspirational writings….(ahem….hello??…Journey Onward??? sorry…couldn’t help it)
but ….if this is my main diet for feeding this lean, idolatry-prone soul???
I am in a heap of trouble.
So the surest cure for idle idolatry?
OPEN. UP. YOUR. BIBLE.
Every word is God-breathed…
Inspired …
UsefuL…
FOR….
Teaching
Doctrine
Rebuking
Training
Correcting
Equipping…
YOU
So belly up to the table, open up a heaping portion of the good food of Scripture and …
TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD <3
This was wonderful!! Thanks for the good word!!
Thank you Bekah. I will be honest…this has been a painful unwrapping of some very good things God has given me that I now see I have placed my trust in that ARE NOT HIM. How easily I let circumstances undo me when He has commanded me to not be anxious…afraid…worried. It is a process and I am a thankful recipient of His patience and GRACE <3
Thank you Laura! Confirming what I heard yesterday. Even if I don’t have the perfect study or pod-cast, I ALWAYS have the handbook to life, and an abundant life at that!
Bless you Karen. I will never understand why I go searching for some kind of “insight” when every single time I pick up His Word, He speaks so richly to me! We are a funny lot, aren’t we?? =0)