False Idols

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1 Samuel 7:4 Get Rid Of The Baals

So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. 1 Samuel 7:4

Most people in the world look at certain things or principles as what made them successful or gave them a good life. In the process of doing this, these things are often idolized and looked up to as being great and powerful.

Often people will then give their everything to these things, giving complete control over to these things to the point of worship. As this is done, they will rarely be willing to give it up for anything else.

As the Israelites were being captured by the Philistines, Samuel told the people what they must do. All the people chose to get rid of their Baals and Ashtoreths and serve God alone.

Although most people do not have physical idols that they physically bow down to and worship, they do have many idols in their life. People have things that they are willing to give all of their thoughts, time, money and energy to get, have and keep. Whole lives are dedicated to having these things, which then become an idol.

Believers can sometimes allow some of these idols in their lives to take the place of God. Instead of fully trusting God in every situation, believers will take on the world’s idols and trust those idols, pushing God to the side.

True believers will recognize this as idol worship and remove it from their lives, regardless of the cost. God is the only one that should be served. Everything that a believer does should be done out of honor and desire to serve, worship and honor God.

As the believer serves God alone, God will deliver him from the hands of the enemy.

The world is out to get you to turn away from God and serve their false gods. These false gods of the world will look good and enticing, but will only bring about captivity and death. Choose to serve God alone in every area of your life.

Seek God’s Holy Spirit to reveal to you any false gods that you have allowed in your life and remove them. Cast out anything and everything that takes your attention away from God. He, alone, is to be served and worshipped.

Put God on the throne of your life, allowing Him to be complete Master over your entire life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will serve God alone; that God will reveal any false gods in your life; that God will give you strength to cast out any false gods in your life; and that you will trust God with your whole life.

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Numbers 25:3 Are You Tied To False Gods?

So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. Numbers 25:3

It is very common for people to idolize someone or something in their lives. Focus is so much on a person or a thing that they put everything else to the side and dedicate their life to what their focus is on.

Acting in this way is so common and accepted that it is often promoted and encouraged. The things that people put their life focus upon are often the gods or masters in their lives.

The Israelites had chosen to bow down to some Baal idols of the Moabite women after having relations with women. God’s anger burned against them.

Losing focus and following the idols of the world is something that is easy to do and is often done among believers. People get caught up in the moment of self-pleasure and choose to bow down to sin and make something an idol in their life, rather than serving God.

The false idols in people’s lives may be people, things or a false belief. These can be things that are directly evil or even inherently good. Anything or anyone that takes the place of God or causes one to sin against God is a false idol.

False gods are abundant and may give a temporary pleasure in this life, but they are dead and only cause death. They pull the believer away from the one true living God.

Believers need to have their entire life focused upon God and His word and His desires. The moment one chooses to believe in Jesus, he has dedicated his entire life to God. Turning back to anything else is rejecting God and accepting a false god. All false gods must be rejected.

Many things will try to call your attention and desires away from God. Flee the idols that the world will place before you to trip you up and cause you to sin against God and follow those false idols. Those idols will only bring about death and destruction in the end.

Dedicate your whole life to God and choose to follow Him and Him alone. Let God bring you the joy, peace and provision the false idols of this world promise but are unable to deliver. Following God will bring about eternal life with more than any false idol will ever be able to give.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will open your eyes to any false idols in your life; that you will choose to make God the master and only God of your life; and that you will know all that God can and will give to you.

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Hosea 4:12 Consulting Idols

My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. Hosea 4:12

During the time of Hosea, many of the people turned to wooden idols to seeking out guidance for their lives. They would use diviner’s rods to tell them the path that they must take. Even though they were originally called to be God’s people, they prostituted themselves out to others and were unfaithful to God.

Seeking out guidance from idols has not changed over the years. People everywhere are always seeking guidance for their lives. The methods of seeking are very diverse, but most do not include seeking God’s direction for their lives.

Following the lifestyles of famous actors, singers and sports players is one of the most common idols sought out. Most of these people are not living their lives for God at all, they are living for self and the world. People seek them out to know what to wear, how to speak, how to be famous, how to be wealthy, how to be the best in their field, what to believe, and how to live their lives.

These people are worshipped as being the best and knowing the best way to live. They appear to have everything under control. They appear to be living a full life. Yet, they are dead idols, worshipping false gods. Those who follow them are prostituting themselves against God.

Many believers and churches have fallen for the deception of following these and many other idols. Their first choice in seeking guidance is not God, but those of this world, those who do not seek God first, but themselves and the ways of this world.

Every believer must put God first in his life. When there is some guidance that is needed, he must be willing to seek God first for the answer, rather than the false idols of this world.

When you are seeking guidance for something, what is the first thing you do? Turn to this world and search for answers on Google? Or do you turn to the Bible and prayer, seeking out what God’s answer is for you?

Do not allow yourself to be caught up in the deception of this world, prostituting yourself to the idols of this world and rejecting God. Consult God for what you need guidance in.

I pray today that you will put God first in your life; that you will consult God for all your needs; that God will strengthen you to reject the ways of this world; and that you will be faithful to God.