Dave’s Monday Blast – July 5, 2021
Last week we were reminded by the prophet Jeremiah 2:13 that my people have committed two evils:
- They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.
- They have hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns
that can hold no water.
The broken cisterns are idols made by man. They can not hold water, (which is their defined purpose) and therefore they cannot bring satisfaction. The seventeenth century mathematician and theologian, Blasie Pascal, famously stated that idols can not fill the God-shaped vacuum that exists within us.
Here are truths concerning all idols:
Idols always OVERPROMISE and UNDER-
Idols are FULL OF LIES.
Idols are poor GOD-SUBSTITUTES.
Idols can be GOOD THINGS that we make the MAIN THING and thus they can become SINFUL THINGS.
Idols are anything that we look to, other than God, for our ultimate MEANING, VALIDATION, IDENTITY, AND PURPOSE.
Joshua reminds us in 24:15 that we must make INTENTIONAL choices every moment of every day concerning what and whom we shall serve!
Here is what C.S Lewis says about idols: “If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion is no part of the Christian faith; indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not to strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” That’s good isn’t it!
In truth, the problem isn’t desire. The problem is MISPLACED desire! (
