Weekly column by Jack Hall, pastor of First Baptist Church in Shawneetown
God. What is your next thought immediately after reading that name? Some may have a loving response. Some may respond in fear. Some may have difficulty even coming up with a response. And some may question why I asked. Well, I do have a reason.
In my devotions last week, as I studied Jeremiah 2:11-19, God confronted me with how I respond to Him. How many people do you know who stand in awe of God? We can become so lax in our relationship to God that we take Him for granted and fall into idolatry. Israel had done this when Jeremiah wrote: "Has any nation traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all?" (Jer. 2:11)
Imagine having the world's most valuable work of art that would bring $30 or $40 million if you auctioned it. Then imagine, instead of taking that artwork to the auction, you took it to a pawn shop, pawned it for $20 and blew all of it on crayons and paper so you could decorate your walls.
How much is God worth to you? Think about what He did for Israel. He miraculously delivered the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. He took care of them through 40 years of wandering in the desert. He forgave them of rebellion and disobedience, over and over, and finally brought them into the land of promise.
Yet they still fell into idolatry time and time again. "Yet, my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!" (Jer. 2:11b)
In other words, they had given up glory for garbage.
The great theologian Augustine said, "Thus does the world forget You, its Creator, and falls in love with what You have created instead of with You." Not one of us can plead innocence at this point, can we? We, too, have exchanged the almighty dollar for the almighty God!
Again, Jeremiah said, "My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me -- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all." (Jer. 2:13)
Israel had forsaken a God who shared His love and His presence to them. He had spoken to them through Moses and the prophets. He offered to share His glory with them even when they sinned. But, they chose idols of wood and stone who could not speak or act.
What God said through Jeremiah to Israel is appropriate for us today. Think about what He did for us. We just celebrated Easter, which is the celebration of God the Son dying on a cross to deliver us from sin and death (our greatest enemy). And Jesus rose from the dead to give us an abundant life and a home in heaven for all eternity. Later, God the Holy Spirit came to empower the New Testament Church to live and witness to our world. God continues to show His desire to share His glory.
And, still, we choose to be "religious." We choose to exercise our "rights" to abort unborn persons, to change our bodies from what God created them to be, to change our lifestyle to that which is in complete disobedience to Him. And God goes on offering forgiveness, restoration, life, and a share of His glory!
So, when I say God, what do you think should be my response? Awesome! Although I confess that it is not always my response, whenever I think of the only true God of the universe and the ages, I should stand in awe. And this is now my goal!
