Monday, May 12, 2014

James 4:11-12
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

 Reflection
This is where the idol begins to cause conflict in our lives. The idol will start to cause us to judge one another. That sounds strange but if you think about it you know its true. The things we dislike the most in others is what we dislike in ourselves. Have you ever noticed this inside of yourself? Why do you think that we would judge others based on our own sins and idols?


Weekly Theme May 11 through 17

Understanding Idols (part 2)

 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him … .They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
(Romans 1:21, 25)

Paul goes on to make a long list of sins that create misery and evil in the world, but they all find their roots in this soil, the inexorable human drive for "god-making." In other words,
idolatry is always the reason we ever do anything wrong. No one grasped this better than Martin Luther. In his Larger Catechism (1528) and also his Treatise on Good Works, he wrote that the Ten Commandments begin with a commandment against idolatry. Why does this come first in the order? Because, he argued, the fundamental motivation behind law-breaking is idolatry. We never break the other commandments without breaking the first one. Why do we ever fail to love, keep
promises, or live unselfishly? Of course, the general answer is "because we are weak and sinful", but the specific answer in any actual circumstance is that there is something you feel you must have to be happy that is more important to your heart than God himself. We would not lie unless first we had made something (human approval, reputation, power over others, financial advantage) more important and valuable to our hearts than the grace and favor of God.
Last week we discussed the first two parts of the life cycle of an idol: desire and demand. We learned that our unmet desires can lead to idols if we do not give them to God. If we have unmet desires they cause us to think that we deserve something and force us to seek earthly comfort for our desires. This week we will continue to follow where idols will lead us if we do not give God His proper place in our lives. 

Saturday, May 10, 2014

2 Kings 17:32-41
32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also
appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.


Reflection
Our scripture today reminds us that even the faithful can be tied up with idols. Take time today to look at these questions. They will help you examine your heart and find the idols that seek to run your heart.

1. What am I preoccupied with? What is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night?

2.  How would I complete this statement: "If only _____________, then I would be happy, fulfilled, and
secure"?

3.  What do I want to preserve or avoid?

4.  Where do I put my trust?

5.  What do I fear?

6.  When a certain desire is not met, do I feel frustration, anxiety, resentment, bitterness, anger, or depression?

7.  Is there something I desire so much that I am willing to
disappoint or hurt others in order to have it?

Friday, May 9, 2014

Luke 12:22-31
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.


Reflection
Our scripture today shows the birth of an idol. When our unmet desires send us seeking support in earthly things rather than in God an idol is born. Is there something in your life that you rely on rather than God?

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Philippians 3:17-19
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 


Reflection
When we have unmet desires in our lives they become demands.  This is when we start to rationalize why we are doing something. I am doing this because “I deserve this.”  Have you ever found yourself doing something just because you deserve it? Think about that unmet desire from Monday how do you think if that desire is unmet it could turn into an demand?

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

James 1:2-8
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Reflection
If we let go and let God when it comes to our desires God gives in greater measure than any earthly thing. More and more through giving your unmet desires to God this
perseverance allows God to grow you.  Think about this. If God loved you so much to give His only Son so that He might have a relationship with you, how far will He go to fulfill your unmet desires? Why do you think we hesitate to give our desires to God?



Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Psalm 73:21-28
21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
    you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I will tell of all your deeds.


Reflection
The truth is that we need to give our unfulfilled desires to God. If we anticipate that earthly things will meet all of our desires, we are sadly mistaken. Even our loved ones will disappoint us if we expect them to fulfill our desires. Review your desire from Monday. How do you think you could give this desire to God.?
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