Devotional – Friday, July 3, 2020

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. [Idols] have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make [idols] are like them; so is everyone who trusts in and relies on them.” Psalm 135:15-18

One of the things I teach at Southeastern is journalism, so I wince whenever I hear a politician label something he or she disagrees with as “fake news.” There’s actually a lot of fake news in the world, but most of it does not come from the news media. I’m sure you’ve all seen it on Facebook — the conspiracy theories and other nonsense people post or share without checking their facts. An interesting fact about fake news is that research has shown that people who are corrected about some fake news they have believed in tend to double down on their beliefs as if by believing harder, they can make it come true. 

These pundits and conspiracy theories are our idols today. Do you faithfully watch Sean Hannity or Rachel Maddow? Fox News or CNN? Who do you rely on to shape your world view?

God does not take lightly the fact that people have idols in their lives. For this reason He Himself has given us a command to not have any other gods before Him. Today’s idols, with their 24-hour news cycles are, I believe, the opposite of the way God would like us to live and think. Theirs is a short-term perspective, while God wants us to take a longer view. After all, this is God’s world, not theirs. He already knows how it’s all going to turn out. They don’t. 

I think to be a faithful Christian in times like these means to trust the future to the God who has always been faithful to His people. We may lose heart. We may fail. But if we patiently endure, trusting in God, not idols, we will see trials transformed into testimony and suffering transformed into victory. 

Prayer: Lord, help us to turn to you when we are troubled, rather than turning to others who cannot see the world as you can see it. Strengthen our faith and help us to trust only You with our peace of mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen! 

Offered by Carol Madere

Our devotionals are sent by email on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, with an occasional lagniappe issue. Please look for these congregation devotionals in your email box at about 6:45 a.m. If you’d like to sign up to receive our mailings, please click here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *