Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Church Pastor LHBC
Psalm 115:2-11
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
9 O Israel,[a] trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
When I was in high school my mom surprised me one day with a pair of Michael Jordan-brand shoes to wear to school. I was caught off guard because growing up my parents did not usually choose to spend high dollar on shoes like what Jordans were. In conversation with her about the shoes she mentioned that she found them at a garage sale with another pair of Nike shoes 2 for $25 dollars! What a deal! I took a look at the shoes and realized that they were fake Jordans. They looked just like the real shoe except the famous Jordan Jumpman emblem was crooked on both shoes. I made the move to wear them to school and sure enough as soon as I walked into the cafeteria all I hear is “Hey look ya’ll, Wasswa got on fake Jordans.” At that moment my fake shoes were exposed. Though they looked like the real ones, they were counterfeit. As much as I wanted them to be the real shoes, they would not ever be.
In Psalm 115 the Psalmist exposes the reality of the gods of the foreign nations around them. The nations were accused of taunting the Psalmist and the people of Israel because it seemed as though Yahweh God was absent. The people of Israel were captives in a foreign land with what seemed as no hope. In the midst of the taunting in vs. 2 the Psalmist sheds light on the reality of their (and our situation). God isn’t missing nor had He left. He is in the Heavens in control as He always has been and forever will be. He then exposes the truth regarding the idols in which they serve in verses 4-8. Though they had all these characteristics, they couldn’t do anything. They were unable to function because they were counterfeit. They were fake. They weren’t real.
The Psalmist is warning both you and I about the reality of the idols all around us that are tempting to worship. What is an idol? Anything that you choose to make king of your heart over the Almighty God. So that goes beyond statues and graven images. An idol could be your house. An idol can be your car or your phone. An idol can be your spouse or your kids, or your career. All of those things are good but they should not take precedence over the God of all Creation.
Listen, though an idol is shiny and alluring, at the end of the day, it won’t answer you when you cry out to it to help you like God can. At the end of the day, though that idol may bring pleasure to you when you choose to worship it, the truth is that it won’t be there for you in the darkest of seasons. One day it will fade. Here’s the deal: At the end of the day those who choose to worship idols become just like them: empty, broken and spiritually lifeless as we see in verse 8.
So as a result of the truth of idolatry being exposed, our response is to choose to “trust in the Lord” (v.9-11). We make the decision to entrust ourselves to the Lord and worship Him alone. May you choose to make Jesus the only object of your worship. Choose not to worship God’s blessings but enjoy them and worship the God who gave you those blessings. What idol do you need to lay down today? Whether it be idol of self, wealth and/or possessions, make the decision to lay them down and worship the only One worthy of worship.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Heavenly Father Lord, thank you for today! Thank you for your love for me! Help me to see the reality of idols and how they do not compare to you and your greatness. I choose to lay down the idols I have built up and worshipped in my life today and make the decision to worship You alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Song of Worship for Today: Clear the Stage- Jimmy Needham
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God