The Key scripture for the day is 2 Kings 17:13-15 (NLT)
13 Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.”
14 But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.Arthur Wallis says, "An idol may be defined as any person or thing that has usurped in the heart the place of preeminence that belongs to the Lord."
Often you hear cast all your idols away or something of the sort and you hear how the Lord is in your heart, but I have never heard it in the way Arthur Wallis puts it. He says that the idols take up the space in our hearts where the Lord is. If we have even one idol other than our Lord, there is less room for Jesus. I take things pretty literally and this time it works. I could immediately relate to this because I don't like tight spaces. If having idols makes a tighter space for the Lord, then by all means get them out! He deserves all the space, all the attention. In fact, we are blessed with His presence in our hearts. We belittle our blessing when we have those idols.
I also believe that many people use the word "love" too often. You don't really love your shoes and if you do then shoes are one idol you have. Love is such a strong word to use, but most people forget. I know there are people who will only use the word "hate" very rarely. They believe it is a strong word with a lot of meaning. "Love" should be used in the same sense. I say all this because I feel that once you say you love something, it starts to take space in your heart. Now Jesus asks us to love one another, which we should. But this love comes from Jesus. If we truly love something than that love comes from God. We love it because he does. Our thoughts should be His.
The book points out that "sometimes our idols aren't 'stuff' but things like security or orderliness or even ourselves. Husbands can become idols, too." This is so important to remember. Nothing can meet all our needs except God.
Challenge: Ask God to help you become aware of your idols that take up the space in your heart meant for Jesus.
