Worship the creator, not the creation: Is 44:16-19

"Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, 'Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.' But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god.'... No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, 'I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!' "(Isaiah 44:16-19)

How can anything that is of this creation be god? For God is the creator, not the created. How can anything created by our own hands be god? Can we make our own gods? How can an idol, that cannot hear, cannot speak, and cannot move be god? Should we serve a god who is powerless?

There are many things that people substitute in their life for God. For certain, there are idols, fetishes, and spirits (who are also created by the one true God). But some of the false gods we worship are a little more subtle. What are the things we look to for deliverance, salvation, and security? For some, it's money. The assume that their riches will keep them secure when facing uncertain times. For some, it's relationships. They believe that the "right" person will make them complete and ensure their happiness. And for some, it's various escapements, such as drugs, alcohol, and other addictions.

All these things can become "gods" to us. When we are in need, we turn to them for comfort and help. They provide the "strength" that enables us to cope with life. But if we stop and think about it, worshiping any one of these gods is as foolish as "falling down before a block of wood"! There is one true God, and Him alone we should worship.

David Robison