The Antidote to Idolatry

My heart is full of shame in front of God! The more I saturate my heart with His Word and learn of His attributes, I feel more and more reverence for Him while I see more of my wickedness.

As I seek His evaluation of my heart by meditating upon His Word, I feel more and more guilty of a sin punishable by death–idolatry!

No, I didn’t mean that I carved a golden god, arrayed it in multihued garments, prayed to it and kept in my room!

I didn’t mean that I have posted photos of a model or a celebrity on the walls of my room and spent money on collecting her magazines!

Yet, I realize that I am having an idol.

In Christian lingo, an idol is anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. It can be a job, self-image, relationships, possessions and anything that diverts our attention and worship from Him alone.

Sadly, in this computer age, there are many things that can easily take God’s  stead in our hearts and this rivalry between God and idols around us goes on and on each day. It is a daily battle.

I have been reading the Bible without thinking whether I follow my reading plan or not. All I want this year is to read and meditate upon God’s word and eventually know Him experientially in a much deeper level.

This month, I have chosen to focus on the book of Deuteronomy. Reading through the chapters of this book, it is simply convicting how God reminded the Israelites through Moses how He hates idolatry!

“So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” ~Deuteronomy 4:23-24

 Over and over, this type of reminder was mentioned and the greatest of all commandments is also written in this book. It says:

And this verse encapsulates the antidote to idolatry–loving the LORD our God with all our being.

Now, how can we love the Lord our God with all our being? Let me give you a very short list of  what it means to love God with all our being. These are easier said and read than done.

1. Loving the LORD our God means  learning His word daily.

“It is simple.”, you may say. However, it’s one thing to read God’s word and it’s another thing to meditate upon (i.e. chew on, ponder upon) His statements.

Let’s revive the lost art of meditation! These days, it’s easy to like and follow Biblical Facebook pages but let me tell you this, there’s nothing much better than discovering jewels in God’s word by ourselves.

Going back to the fundamentals of spiritual growth is never old-fashioned! We need to ask God to give us the grace that will enable us to spend quality time with Him early in the morning and before we sleep.

Let’s remember that the time spent with God in meditation of His word and in prayers is never wasted! It doesn’t end in reading God’s word. We also need to think about how we can practically apply His word in our daily life and this leads to our next item.

2. Loving the LORD our God means living out His word daily.

Jotting down the important points that we learn from God’s word in a journal is priceless. We can look back to them and eventually, teach them to others. More often than not, we can use them when we are tested on what we have just recently learned about God and His Word regarding areas of our life. And here’s what’s awesome: God is glorified when we pass the test while claiming His grace through our testings! He is pleased and glorified when we are not just readers of His word but also doers of His word and will!

Now, how else can we manifest our love for God? That leads us to our next practical item.

3. Loving the LORD our God means longing to fellowship with Him daily.

When our hearts is filled with love for God, it overflows with a desire to seek Him. And here’s the promise to those who long to be close to Him.

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deut. 4:29

How are you and your relationship with God? It’s only you and God who can give an honest evaluation of your heart’s condition. Is God still on the throne of your heart? Is He still getting the time He deserves from you?

Do you continue to learn His word, live out His word and long to fellowship with Him daily? Oh that the Lord our God would speak to your heart as He spoke to me!

Here is the antidote to any form of idolatry, my dear friend: loving the LORD our God with all our being!