When God Calls Us Names, It's Serious

As you read through Isaiah and 2 Kings, the story of Israel takes such a sad turn.  The entire nation, both in Israel and Judah, are carried off as slaves into Babylon.  Other people are brought in to live in their houses, and to work their land.  They lose everything.  Everything.  The temple of God is broken into and abandoned, the holy places are taken apart and dismantled.  The dream is over.


Why?


As we talked about earlier, they didn't show justice to the poor and outcast.  They ignored the other.


And they worshiped stuff that wasn't God.  They made idols, and worshiped them.


I know we don't have small little statues that we worship sitting on our mantles at home.  I also understand that as people who have been bought and redeemed by Jesus, we are in a different boat than they were, in some ways.  But seriously, what idols do we worship?  What are the things we go to when we are scared, angry, hurt, alone?  When life is tough, what do we run to for help?  If they are anything other than Jesus, they become our idols.  We worship those things.


I'm realizing some of the idols in my life, and I don't like it.  Hurts and habits I've carried for a while are not drawing me to God.  Most people would look and be like "Really, Jason, those are no big deal.  Relax."  But they are the things I turn to, instead of turning to God.  That is a big deal.  I don't want to have said of me what is said of the people of God: "They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless." (2 Kings 17:15)


Please oh please never let that be said of me!  Can you imagine having God write those words about your life?  It breaks my heart.


So, today, what are we using as a crutch when life gets tough?  What do we run to, regardless of how "little" or "insignificant" it may be.  If it's not Jesus, it's an idol.  May the title "worthless" never be applied to us.