Recently, I’ve committed myself to memorizing Psalm 116.  Ok, I admit – I’ve done really horribly. It’s a 19-verse psalm and I’m on week three of memorization with exactly 16 of them memorized. I’m not very good at this whole memorizing thing. Anyway, I was attempting to memorize a little bit more today while in my 1st morning class, when I got bored and started scanning the page.  My eyes fell to psalm 115, specifically verses 4-8

 

Their idols are silver and gold

the work of human hands.

They have mouths, but do not speak;

eyes, but do not see.

They have ears, but do not hear;

noses, but do not smell.

They have hands, but do not feel’

feet, but do not walk;

and they do not make a sound in their throat.

Those who make them become like them;

so do all who trust in them.

Obviously, these verses are trying to illustrate a point about the people who worship idols.  When the psalm was written, the writer was obviously thinking about physical idols – statues of golden cows or something of the sort.  By now you’re probably thinking “idol worship, blah, blah, blah. I got it.” (I know Christians have beaten this point to death) but I promise – this is going somewhere!  I’ve heard all this before, I realize that idols are wrong, but what really got me was verse 8 – “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” WHOA! Hold on there.  What does that even mean? According my good old online version of the ESV Study Bible, it means, when taken in the literal context of the verse itself, it implies that those who make and worship idols will ultimately become as the described idols – unable to see, hear, feel, speak, etc. Lifeless and useless!

 

In 2009 however, we’re far less inclined to worship golden calves.   More likely, modern people worship idols that are a little less ostentatious in the way that the usurp God.  Money, power, fame, success, sex, beauty… the list goes on and on.  And as I was seeking more ways to avoid paying attention in class, I started thinking.  If people back in the good old days would become like their idols made of metal and stone, what would we become if we trusted in our modern idols?

 

Take money, for example.  What are the basic characteristics of money (beyond the physical)?  It’s fleeting, it can be destroyed just as quickly as it is made.  It is most often used by others to for personal gain, and it has absolutely no value other than what people assign to it.  On it’s own, it’s nothing more than pieces of paper.  Logically (I was doing this in Logic 120), it can be concluded then, that a person who worships money will ultimately become like his money.  Easily destroyed, used by other people, and of little value other than what people assign to him.  Does this sound familiar? (Think Enron).

What are the basic characteristics of fame?  It, too, is fleeting and fickle.  Just as fast as someone can become “something”, they can be made into “nothing”.  It is exhausting, never ending in its search for what is new and hot. It depends completely on the opinions of others.  It is self-serving, always searching for validation, and always has a vague air of desperation surrounding it.  Likewise, the person who worships fame can be made or destroyed in no time.  He becomes exhausted, always searching but never satisfied.  He becomes completely dependent on what everyone else says about him – if it is good, he is elated, if it is bad, he is crushed and is filled with despair and anger.  He becomes selfish, insecure, and constantly desperate.

 

What are the basic characteristics of beauty?  It is subjective, defined by the opinions of others and the fashions of the time.  It is never satisfied – no one can ever be beautiful enough.  There is always something to be done that can increase beauty.  It is vain and is sold as a commodity.  Maybe most importantly, it fades and eventually disappears, with time.  Likewise, the woman (or man) who worships beauty will become so.  She will be defined by opinions and fads, things that change so quickly she will never quite know who she is.   She will never be satisfied, always working for more beauty.  She will learn to sell herself out as a commodity, valued only for her physical beauty.  And once all of these things will established, when her beauty fades – so does she.  This woman who worshipped beauty will become an empty, faded shell of a person, not a trace left of the beauty that defined them.

 

To a non-believer, this situation looks pretty bleak.  No matter what we choose to worship (and it is just a matter of what. People will always worship something), we will eventually come to some form of ruin or unhappiness.  But what about if we choose to worship the one, true God?  What are the basic characteristics of God?  He is kind, loving, wise, gentle, merciful, joyful, gracious, generous, well-loved, and everlasting (among many other things)! You could even venture so far to say that he embodies many of the things that we choose to worship alone (in a distorted form, though) – Beautiful, powerful, famous.

 

In choosing to worship God, and his son Jesus, we will obtain these things for ourselves.  Everything that the world seems to so desperately long for (things that I used to long for, and still do sometimes) can be found when we turn to God and decide to worship Him.  This is what I wish the world could understand.

 

That’s about all for today.  I have an interview in about 15 minutes to see if I can get into the visual communications program here for a double major in Photojournalism.  Prayers would be appreciated! I’m sure I’ll have more material for to write about after this weekend ‘s famous Ohio University Halloween party.  In the mean time, God bless!