The Israelites were at it again. They had turned their backs on God again. And again. And God kept reminding them through his prophets that if they didn’t repent and return to obeying him, they would be severely punished. But they didn’t listen. They made their own gods and worshipped them. But when life got tough. When the drought and famine came along, and neighboring countries defeated them, then they cried out to God. Where are you? They asked. Why aren’t you taking care of us? And all the time God had been speaking through his prophet to turn back to him, they had ignored him. And now they wanted his help.

“When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the Lord our God?’ “Then you will give them the Lord ’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night—and I will grant you no favors!’ Jeremiah 16:10-13

We can’t just fall in step with the majority and worship the god of the moment. Whatever is visually appealing isn’t what should take priority in our lives. We see in Isaiah that the Son of God was not attractive at all. He was ordinary to a fault. Yet he was God. He was worthy of our praise, our adoration and our allegiance.

This is what the Lord says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them. Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”
Jeremiah 10:2‭‭-‬5 NLT

I wonder what God would say to us today. Does his rebuke still stand? We in this world who have made our own gods out of so many man-made items. Do our gods stand on their own today? Or do they fall over?

As long as it’s still today, we have time to repent and turn from our false gods. What do you say we do that? Let’s not make unto ourselves any graven images. Let’s serve the God who is fully capable all on his own of doing anything and everything.

I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost; Christianity without Christ; forgiveness without repentance; salvation without regeneration; politics without God; and Heaven without Hell.

William Booth

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! Jeremiah 10:14-16

How many gods do we need? After all, there is only one true God who rules the universe. All other gods are man-made who can do nothing. They’re worthless. Why do we spend so much time worshipping them? They can’t hear us when we pray. They don’t know our needs. They do nothing for us but leave us feeling empty.

Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem. “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress. Jeremiah 11:13-14

I know, Lord , that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. Jeremiah 10:23

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Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

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Why not worship the one God, the one true God who knew us before we were even born? The God who knows the number of hairs on our heads. He who created us knows everything about us. The number of days we will live. He knows everything we will do and say. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. And he still loves us. He’s ordained our lives from the moment of conception to our final breath. He’s created us to worship the Creator of life, not the creation. How often do we consider the One who created all things?

Does your god fall over? Can your god pick you up when you’ve been let down? When life is crashing all around, does your god comfort you? If you feel comforted for awhile, does the comfort last? When you need your god the most, is he available? Does he hear you? Or provide for you? Do you trust your god?

Come every one who is thirsty in spirit;
Come, every one who is weary and sad.
Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus –
All that you’re longing for; Come and be glad!

I will pour water on him that is thirsty;
I will pour floods upon the dry ground.
Open your heart for the gifts I am bringing;
While ye are seeking Me I will be found.

Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?
Weary of earth-joys, so false, so untrue?
Thirsting for God and His fullness of blessing?
List to the promise, a message for you.

Child of the Kingdom, be filled with the Spirit!
Nothing but fullness thy longing can meet.
’Tis the enduement for life and for service.
Thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet! 

Lucy Rider Meyer