2 Kings 17:33: “[The people from other nations] feared the LORD, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.”

August 11th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Because of Israel’s unrelenting idol worship, the northern kingdom fell to the Assyrians during the reign of King Hoshea. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away into captivity and brought people from other nations into their cities in Samaria. These new peoples did not fear the Lord until He sent lions among them. Then they began to fear Him, but it was the wrong kind of “fear.” They never would have thought of God had it not been for the lions; and when they did think of Him, it was only to be afraid of Him.

Many people only think about God when they are in trouble, like during a serious sickness; but they never think of Him when they are healthy. They consider God only in the storm, never when life is sunny and warm. They cry out to Him when faced with problems, but never when enjoying prosperity. Many a soldier in combat has had a foxhole conversion, making radical promises to God at the moment; but when the battle passes, so does their commitment. They wanted “fire insurance” rather than an active, personal relationship with the living God. Their worship was in form only, meaning their hearts were not in their service to God.

Such worship is found much too often today. As believers, we are guilty of such worship when we sing, “I can sing of Your love forever,” but in our hearts we are wondering when the service will end. We sing, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship and it’s all about You,” while in reality we are thinking about ourselves. Mixing God Almighty with other gods will never work because the God who is God will never share worship with an idol. When we go to a worship service, do we go to have an encounter with God, or do we miss the whole point? Many years ago, The Wall Street Journal carried this 2-sentence news story that perfectly illustrates this problem:

The elms in, South Park, Pa., must be cut down because they are obstructing the monument to Joyce Kilmer. They have lifted their leafy limbs so high that passersby can no longer read the inscription that begins,”I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree.”

What great irony it is to lose sight of what is most important and begin worshiping idols.

“LORD, we turn our hearts to You and ask that You give us undivided hearts to worship and serve You this day.”