Lifting God

Isaiah 46:1–7

“Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. “Listen to Me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. “With whom will you compare Me or count Me equal? To whom will you liken Me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles.”

Gold, silver, wood, or stone, or fame, fortune, pride, self-reliance, career, progress, religion, the Living Life writer tells us today that “these idols are merely dead weight that burden the backs of the beasts that carry them… Unlike these gods, the LORD does not need to be carried by His people. He has carried His people from birth, and He will continue to carry and sustain them throughout their lives (vv 3-4).” Like yesterday, I shared what the Apostle Paul explained to the Athenians, that “the God who made the world and everything in it is the LORD of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all people life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:24-25).” What are the idols that burden us today? Gotquestions.org writes, “all the various forms of modern idolatry have one thing at their core: self. We no longer bow down to idols and images. Instead we worship at the altar of the god of self” and along with it we sort of tithe into the world’s coffers, giving into its definitions of ourselves, its idea of purpose, feeding its insatiable desires. The Apostle John reminds us, “for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (I John 2:16).” The prophet Habbakuk once observed that the world is an idol-maker, it sweeps “past like the wind and go on–guilty people, whose own strength is their god (Hab 1:11)… But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him (Hab 2:20).” The Living Life writer continues, “idols only have strength when we give it to them by desiring them, valuing them, or putting them above God. In contrast, God does not need anyone to give Him strength for He is omnipotent. He is the source of all things and can do all things.” Instead of being bogged down by these heavy idols, God helps us as we lift Him to His rightful place in our daily life, in prayer, praise, gratitude, obedience and a posture of reliance and of trust in Him. Truly, there is none like Him. The LORD offers, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matt 11:28-29).”