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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“A drought on her waters! They will dry up.”
“For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with
terror.”
“So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there
the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from
generation to generation. As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their
neighboring towns,” declares the Lord, “so no one will live there; no people
will dwell in it.”
“Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and
many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with
bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring
sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to
attack you, Daughter Babylon.”
“The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
“Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon, what
he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:”
‘The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.”
Jeremiah 50:38-46
This ends today’s reading
from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What do you idolize in life?
Recent deaths in the movie and music industry have prompted
responses that are almost worship-like in nature, as if the person passing was
some kind of god unto themselves. In our humanity, it seems like we have an
inner drive to give our heart’s desire to something and there is any number of
offerings to choose from. We even have had a television show that has lasted
for more than 14 years and was a major part of pop culture.
What was the name of the show?
American Idol, which premiered in 2002 and didn’t look back.
Yes, we are a people who opt to idolize any number of things
and that’s a major problem when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.
Because any time we focus our adoration on the things of the world, it can
subtract from the full adoration He deserves.
Am I saying that we can’t give our admiration and adulation
to others?
No, not at all.
But what I am saying is that the Lord deserves our first and
fullest esteem, appreciation, and expression of awe and then He can dictate who
we give our love to in our lives.
You see, when we place the Lord first and make Him our
primary object of worship, we can ensure that we don’t fall into the idolatry
trap that the Babylonians (and many other nations including Israel and Judah)
fell into. Look at today’s devotion to see the cost that Babylon specifically
paid for choosing worthless idols over a priceless God:
“A drought on her
waters! They will dry up.”
“For it is a land of
idols, idols that will go mad with terror.”
“So desert creatures
and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again
be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As I overthrew Sodom
and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,” declares the Lord, “so no one
will live there; no people will dwell in it.”
“Look! An army is
coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from
the ends of the earth. They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and
without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they
come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Babylon.”
“The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
“Therefore, hear what
the Lord has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of
the Babylonians:”
‘The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.” Jeremiah 50:38-46
The Babylonians had turned their backs on God and placed
their trust in idols. Their faith was at rock bottom and bone dry so it’s
little wonder that God would send a drought upon the land.
How bad would it get?
So bad that the once powerful and thriving nation would
basically become uninhabitable expect for animals who liked the desert
conditions, animals like hyenas, owls, and other creatures. God would leave the
empire in ruins just as He did the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The work of the Lord’s judgment would range far beyond a
drought. Just as God had used the Babylonians as instruments of His judgment,
so too would He do likewise against Babylon bringing a cruel and merciless army
from the north comprised of the Persians and several other nations who joined
forces with them. In the end, Babylon’s army, which used to have its way with
anyone it fought against, would be defeated soundly and captured. The bold,
arrogant confidence that once defined Babylon would be replaced by terror, fear,
anguish, and pain and surrounding nations would be left appalled when they saw
the cost of idolatry first-hand.
And so that leads to us here in the 21st century and back to
my original question:
What do you idolize in life?
If it’s anything outside of the Lord, I would recommend
reassessing where your faith and loyalty lie for God expects that it be fully
directed to Him, that He receive the fullest measure of our worship and praise,
now and forever.
There is a cost attached for doing otherwise.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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