It is so incredible how we can read a passage from the Bible and learn something new each time. I love being able to share in the perspectives and insight of others as I am reading through the Bible. There is so much I miss. So much that just gets by me...
Like in today's reading. I never really thought about relating the God's presence, in this case the ark, being in the company of the idols, Dagon, to His presence being the company of the idols I have in my heart.
It's funny how, as people, we all do the exact same thing.
It is so easy to see the sins of others, like Israel or Saul, when we read the Bible. It is easy to see them in the lives of others. Yet here we sit with planks in our own eyes.
Perhaps it that very plank that blinds us.
We all fall short and we all have idols that we have embraced. Whether we purposefully sought them out and created them, like Israel did with the golden calf, or they crept in slowly over time because we allowed the culture around us to influence our hearts, they are there.
It is easy to say "I don't have any idols", but is that really true?
An idol is something we worship, or "put ahead" of God.
We tell ourselves, "But, God is the head of my life, I don't worship anything else." It is always so much easier to remain blind to our own sin than admit it, face it, and change it. Change is often painful and it usually requires giving something up. Which, as humans, we aren't generally thrilled about.
So how do we know what our idols are?
--->We start by asking God to show us.<---
It may not be as blatant as bowing down and worshiping a golden calf. More often than not it is subtle. It can be disguised as a "goal", or a bent that seems to just be part of our "personality".
It can be something like obsessing about our bodies or the way we look. It can be a consuming longing to be better than others at something. Pridefully boasting in our children, or even ourselves, can be an idol.
We have to look at what is consuming our thoughts. What is driving our behavior? What are we fiercely clinging to that is causing more destruction than blessing?
It all comes down to our hearts. Surely, as with the ark, God dwells there among our idols. But, given enough time, if we let them go unchecked, our idols will grow, consuming more and more of our thoughts and hearts, until there is no room left for God.
My prayer is that the Lord would shine His light into the darkness of my heart mind, and show me those things that have become idols in my life. I pray that He would cast them down like the statues of dagon, and that He would be all that replaces them.
Be blessed my friends.
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