“Those
who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” (Jonah
2:8 NIV84)
When
we decide to cling to worthless idols instead of following God-given
directives, our lives can be shortened or destroyed. A self-driven life
forfeits what possibly could have been a great future for the rubble of
temporary pleasures. This principle is demonstrated over and over in the Bible: Esau
traded his birthright for a bowl of stew. Cain failed to conquer sin
crouching at his door, killing Abel, and was “marked” for life. Achan and
his entire family were stoned to death because Achan disobeyed the Lord by
taking and hiding silver in his tent when the Hebrews attacked the city of Ai
as they entered the Promised Land. Absalom shortened his life by rebelling
against his father, King David, when he attempted to usurp the kingdom from
David. King Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, had an untimely end to his
kingdom. Daniel prophesied to King Belshazzar: “…you have set yourself up
against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you,
and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them.
You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which
cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in
his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the
inscription” (Daniel 5:23–24, NIV). Daniel continues: “’Here is
what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and
brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found
wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians’”
(Daniel 5:26–28, NIV). That very night King Belshazzar was murdered.
Today,
people do the very same thing—trading their futures and forfeiting the grace of
God, both in this world and the world to come—by devoting their lives to
gaining and making idols of money, pleasure, power, and position. We can
see from the lives of these biblical characters that it is not worth it. This
world in its present form is passing away, and SO ARE WE! Just look in the mirror
in the morning! A core principle for us to remember is: THERE IS NOTHING IN
THIS WORLD, NO IDOL WORTH CLINGING TO, WORTH SACRIFICING BOTH OUR PRESENT AND
ETERNAL FUTURES.
Today,
ask yourself:
Have
I made an idol of anything, causing me to forfeit the operation of God's grace
in my life? If I have, is it really worth it?
God bless you as you sincerely make these reflections in Jesus Christ name.
Comments
Post a Comment