Do We Sometimes Treat God Like an Idol?

By Gobel Brockman


   Part of my Bible reading this past week included Psalms 115, and verses 4-8 grabbed my attention:

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
eyes, but they cannot see;
they have ears, but they cannot hear;
noses, but they cannot smell;
they have hands, but they cannot feel;
feet, but they cannot walk;
neither can they speak with their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”

   Many times we think of “idol worship” in terms of bowing down and/or praying to statues. That practice seems questionable at best: a man crafts a metal or wooden image, and then treats it as a supreme being? This statue is created with eyes, ears, and a mouth that cannot see, hear, or speak. For many people, this seems absurd. But before we get too critical of them, allow me to ask a question:

HOW OFTEN DO WE AS CHRISTIANS TREAT THE LIVING GOD LIKE AN IDOL?

   What do I mean? The Scripture quoted above speaks about an idol’s complete inability to interact with those who worship it. Yet in our current “COVID-19 world” are we guilty of accusing God of the very same things today?

“God, why aren’t You speaking life into my situation?”

“God, don’t you see what I’m gong through?”
“God, do you even hear my prayers?”
“God, isn’t the fragrances of my “sacrifices” reaching Your nostrils?”
“God, why aren’t Your hands working in my life?”
“God, why do You feel so far away?”

   Idols cannot assist their worshippers in any way, but sadly there seems to be many right now who are allowing their own pain, impatience, and frustration to cause them to feel as though their faith in God is just as invaluable. My message, however, is NOT intended to make anyone feel worse than they may already feel. I understand the doubt and uncertainty that some are feeling in these times. None of us have lived through anything quite like this before, and fear of the unknown can indeed be a challenge to our faith. My hope in writing this today is to encourage those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ with these thoughts:

God DOES see what you’re going through.

God IS hearing your prayers.
God’s IS speaking - His word is just as alive and powerful as it’s ever been.
God IS at work in your life and in the world.
Nothing - absolutely NOTHING - has ever caught God by surprise, and He never has and never will abandon His children.

   There is a Scripture in Isaiah 40:31 that can bring us tremendous peace and confidence in these times. The beginning of that verse says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...” One mistake we make in our relationship with God is a misunderstanding of what it means to”wait” upon the Lord. We think of waiting as standing with our arms folded, tapping our feet, and looking at the clock every 15 seconds waiting for the answer to our prayer to arrive. But in the original Hebrew the word for wait in that passage is “qawa” which has the implication of “binding together.” So with that thought in mind, think of it this way: “Lord, I wait upon you in faith. I know You are God and You will never leave me nor forsake me. In these times of waiting, I will bind myself together with You. I know You haven’t left me, and I’m not going anywhere either. You are NOT an idol; You are the living and true God, and You are indeed in control. I put my faith and my confidence in You.”

   In life and in death, He is God, He’s alive, and He’s in control. Jesus Christ is forever Lord, and if you know Him as Savior, you’re forever in His hands.

   And He’s no idol.

It's Not Too Late

By Gobel Brockman


   I once went to my bank to cash a check. One of the one dollar bills I received caught my attention (pictured). It was printed in 1988. On both sides of it, people who’ve had this dollar bill in their possession over the years have written their location on it:

Portland, Maine – 1992
Edgewater, Maryland – 1992
Mount Vernon, Ohio - 1993
Lexington Kentucky, Winchester Kentucky – 1993

   There are more locations written on it, and I’m sure it’s been in many other places as well. My mind began to imagine all of the things this dollar bill has been used for over the years. I pictured a mother in Maine giving this dollar bill to her child so they could buy a candy bar. A college student in Maryland using it to help pay for a Venti Cappuccino to get them through an “all nighter” preparing for a test. A basketball fan in Lexington using it to help buy a Coke at Rupp Arena. What a journey this dollar bill has been on. I can’t imagine all of the things it has been used for. What I do know is that it is showing signs of its age. It is worn and tattered. It wouldn’t take much to tear it, and it has obviously been folded up more times than I could imagine. The Federal Reserve definitely got its dollar’s worth out of this piece of paper.

   That got me to thinking about my Christian life. I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ in 1981, and it has been an incredible journey! I know many of you reading this can say the same thing in your Christian life as well. We have seen a lot, and we have done a lot. The journey has taken us places we couldn’t have imagined. God has used us in ways we never dreamed possible. But just like that dollar bill, perhaps we’re beginning to feel our age. There are some days I look in the mirror and feel that I could pack my entire wardrobe in the bags under my eyes. In the past, I could rarely take a nap. Now I can take them without even planning on it (which is especially unhandy while driving!) But here’s my point: this dollar bill, for all of its signs of age, is worth just as much as the newest one dollar bill that just rolled off the printing press. It has lost some luster, but it hasn’t lost any value.

NEITHER HAVE WE.

   I have said all of this to simply speak a word of encouragement to those who may need it today: it’s not too late for you. You are not too old. You still have value, and God can still use you mightily in His kingdom. If I feel tattered and torn, it is just a sign that I have lived a well-lived life. And even if I do feel tattered and torn, it doesn’t mean that I have lost my value - and neither have you. We are still in circulation, and there is still “Kingdom of God business” that we get to be a part of. There is still much work to be done, and we still get to be part of it. Jesus said this in John 4:35:

"Do you not say, 'There are four months, and then comes the harvest?' Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest."

   As long as I have breath in my body, I want my life to bring honor to Jesus Christ. I want to be used for His glory in any way He deems best. Like that dollar bill, I may be showing my age, but I still want to be "spent" as God desires for as long as possible. I know many of you reading this feel the same way. So stay in circulation, stay in the hand of Jesus, and be ready for the next time He wants to "spend" you for His glory. He always makes wise investments.