Today you should read: Jeremiah 10
This is a powerful chapter of Jeremiah. This is all about how insufficient idols are and how SUFFICIENT and GLORIOUS our God is. An Idol is anything that we put above God in our hearts. This can even be good things. God is supreme. He makes this very clear in the 10 commandments. We shall have no Gods before Him. Though we aren’t worshipping wooden gods, make no mistake, we often have gods before God. They are worthless. They are insignificant. Yet our hearts desire them. We must put them to death. God will not stand for idols. On top of all that… if we understood that idols were ultimately lies (promising something they can’t bring) we would turn from them. Let’s jump into Jeremiah 10!
I think we see a couple of things here about idols…
They are NOTHING compared to the One True God (v.5-10)
Idols promise so many things. They promise deliverance (of some kind) whether spiritual, emotional, or physical… They promise life… They promise happiness… and so much more. Yet as Jeremiah reminds us, “they cannot speak, they have to be carried, for they cannot walk.” In contrast, God speaks… came to earth to carry us… walks with us through life. There is nothing like our God. Why do we so often look to idols for fulfillment? Why do we believe they can do things that they can’t?
Idols Will PERISH (v.11-16)
God will not stand forever for our idols. Ultimately they are not eternal. They will one day perish… just as God said, “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
God is trying to make a point…. Idols cannot supply life and direction to a world they didn’t create. They are created by men. We make them gods in our hearts because we feel in control. We don’t want to give up control. But we must make no mistake, no matter what we put as the god of our heart… there is a Sovereign God, Loving Father, & Powerful Creator that is ultimately God and in control. Let’s trust Him!
The SOLUTION to Idols is to LOOK TO GOD (v. 21-25)
This may seem obvious but the solution to idols in our lives is to look to God. Judah was struggling with idols because their shepherds did not “inquire of God” (v.21). They thought they could figure out life better. So Jeremiah looks to God for wisdom on how to deal with idols (v.22-25). We must do the same in our lives.
Spend some time:
- Ask God to show you idols in your life.
- Ask God to show you how big and good He is.
- Ask God to renew your heart for Him and address idols in your life.
- Ask God to help you have a clearer picture of Him, a stronger love for Him, and to put away idols in your life.
By: Nick Parsons — Pastoral Ministry Associate – College
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