Modern American Idol Worshippers

REFERENCE: II Kings 17:7 This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Observation: "This disaster" that they suffered was the loss of the Promised Land that God had given them. They were exiled to another country. Why did this happen? Over and over again, in this chapter and elsewhere, it is stated so clearly that this disaster came on them because they turned from God and worshipped idols.

What is idol worship at its core? It is man’s prideful self-worship. We want to trust in that which we can control and so we create or obtain something and then pretend that it has the power to meet our deepest need.

The really scary part is that we live in a world that tempts us to idol worship all the time. We may not have figures in the corner of our living rooms that we bow down to, pray to or sacrifice to but we do have so many things that are given the supposed power to meet our needs. For example, our world teaches us that we should look to money and possessions for security. "Financial security" has become the goal for a lot of people. They trust in its hopes. They work to obtain its promises and they sacrifice time and family connections to try to lay a hold of it.

Yet we all know that it is a fantasy. No one is really financially secure. It could be wiped out in a day. Yet Satan works overtime to get us to put our trust and hope and peace in mere money. Even if we don’t have much in our bank account, our anxiety over it belies the fact that we are trusting in it instead of God.

Many men (and women) are caught up in pornography. They look to it to provide them with peace in times of stress, a sense of acceptance and satisfaction. It becomes a way to escape the rigors of life. These are all things that we should look to the true God to supply for us. When we look elsewhere, we are committing the sin of idolatry.

The result of an idolatrous lifestyle is that we lose our promised land. Many of us wonder why we don’t have the blessings God has promised us. Perhaps we had them at one time but they have slipped away. Could it be that we are under the discipline of God because of the idols in our lives? Perhaps it is time to clean out the closet and get rid of anything (money, sex, position, fame, power, manipulation etc.) that we trust in when we should be trusting God. If we are going to receive His promises we need to have a heart fully devoted to Him.

Application/Confession: When I find myself getting anxious about finances either in our home or for the church, I realize that there is such a danger that I am falling into the worship of idols. My anxiety indicates that I am looking to mere money to meet my needs and that is simply not right. God has said that He is my source, my supply and I need to stand firm on that - never wavering.

PRAYER: Lord, forgive me for worshipping the idol of financial security. I need to, I want to trust you and you alone. Please help me.