What We Worship

 July 10, 2024

“Their idols are silver and gold, 

The work of men’s hands. 

They have mouths, but they do not speak; 

Eyes they have, but they do not see; 

They have ears, but they do not hear; 

Noses they have, but they do not smell; 

They have hands, but they do not handle; 

Feet they have, but they do not walk; 

Nor do they mutter through their throat. 

Those who make them are like them; 

So is everyone who trusts in them. 

O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.”

—Psalm 115:4-9 

“Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” These are among the most frightening words in the Bible. We moderns scoff at those who worshipped idols made of wood and metal, but are we so much different? We too, worship the work of our hands. We will invest thousands of dollars in exotic cars, sports venues, fancy houses, investments and get rich schemes. We spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.

All the stuff we have we will someday leave behind. That’s bad enough, but even worse is becoming like the stuff we spend so much money and time on; cold, lifeless, unfeeling. 

So what do we value? If it’s not stuff, who do we follow? Are the musicians, politicians, media stars the kind of people we want to be like? We become like what (or who) we trust in.

Turn the question around: “Am I the kind of person someone else would do well to follow, to emulate?” We become like what we worship, which is why the Bible consistently commands us to worship the LORD, and him only.