God Will Remove False Gods You Depend On
Scripture Passage: Micah 5:10-15 (NASB)
10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That I will eliminate your horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the cities of your land,
And tear down all your fortifications.
12 I will eliminate sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”
SUMMARY
The Lord declares to the Israelites that He will make sure to destroy every single false god that the Israelites worshipped. Their horses, chariots, cities and their fortifications, sorceries, fortune-tellers, the carved images, and sacred pillars that they idolized in place of God will be cut off and rooted out by God Himself.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
As I meditated on these verses, I was reminded once again how I had been worshipping one idol after another my entire life. When I was a teenager, getting into a good college was my ultimate goal and I worked very hard to achieve it. When I was in my 20s, having a successful career and getting married to the right guy with a respectable job were more important than anything else. When I entered my 30s, having a secure job and raising a family became my new idols.
These are not necessarily bad things. But these things were more important than God and my motive was never pure. I just wanted to check off the criteria for success that the world promoted. I wanted to impress, to gain recognition and the temporary pleasure I received when people told me, “how do you do it all? You have everything.”
To keep up with such a crazy life style, I mistreated my body and lived as if I was the owner of my body. I was always overworking, eating poorly, never having time to exercise and being sleep deprived all the time.
A few years ago, at the height of my career when so many opportunities were coming along, God put a stop to my never-ending life of “following after false gods” when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. As a pianist, just the thought of not being able to perform initially crushed my spirit. But I was forced to take a long overdue break for the first time and really reevaluate and reprioritize my life. Looking back, I now realize that my diagnosis was God’s gentle and loving reminder that enough was enough. God was saying, ‘I love you too much to allow you to keep living like that. Stop working and living for false gods. Hyewon, your work, family and everything else should be tools you use to come closer to me, not the other way around.’
God doesn’t want us to go after false gods first because He loves us. He knows that working tirelessly for idols will eventually destroy us and our lives. His love for us is so great that He roots them out of our lives so we can live worshipping the true, the ultimate God himself.
APPLICATION
To tell the truth, worshipping other gods (like my son, finance, status and marriage etc.) is still a struggle for me. I find myself trying to be in control instead of surrendering to the Lord. I easily get anxious and fearful because “I” am trying to fight and do the work by myself. I have a hard time letting go and waiting for God. Having quiet time alone with the Lord daily—learning to sit quietly and listen by meditating on His Words and praying—is such a crucial and important part of my spiritual walk. After Arise, I got a little lazy spiritually. I want to recommit to have quiet time consistently so I can finish 2020 strong and prepare for the new year with prayer and His Words.
PRAYER
Lord,
Thank you for pursuing me even when I pursue after other gods. Thank you for not allowing idols to destroy me by obliterating the idols first.
Lord, forgive me for conforming to the patterns of the world and going after worldly things that cannot satisfy me or give me Life. You are the only one who can truly satisfy my thirst and hunger and give me the true freedom and the true life.
Lord, I am weak but you are strong. I cannot fight against my own sinful flesh on my own. Fill me with your spirit and words that I may always choose what is pure, right and pleases you.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Please share your personal meditations on this Scripture passage with the HolyWave community in the comments section below. (We reserve the right to moderate comments.)