Idols; Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em

So I have just recently finished going through the book of Judges once again. I love that book! What struck me though as I read it was how Israel were still holding on to idols even at this point of being in the Land. And these were idols that they carried around with them and I guess thought either God would be okay with that, or God wouldn't have to find out? I don't know what they were thinking. Because even at the end of the book of Joshua, Joshua tells them that they need to throw away those idols that they were carrying with them. They promised Joshua that they would be faithful to God and Joshua said that they should be careful what they promise. But they promise away that they will get rid of their idols and return to the Lord. However, as we see in Judges, they did not get rid of them and were still taking them along.

Its pretty easy for me to think, yikes those Israelites! How could they keep doing this to God? Why are they serving these other gods? What do they think these gods could even do for them? But God's been showing me lately that we can be serving a bunch of idols without even realizing it. Now this doesn't make it right, however, it just does naturally happen to us with our fleshy bodies and minds. Our society worships a lot of things that don't seem like a big deal maybe a lot of the time. We worship clothes and fashion, sex, rights and freedoms of everyone, tolerance, the environment, relationships, etc,etc. There is so much that our world worships without even realizing that that is what they are doing. Worship in Mirriam Websters means to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion. I would definitely say that they are many many things that our society is devoted to. Its so easy for people to worship fashion perhaps without even realizing it. Yes, they may know that they really like their clothes and shopping and such but when they become devoted to that, it can become an object of worship so easily.

God made us to worship. Why else would there be so many ways that people worship as well as so many religions and such. God made us this way so that we would worship Him and walk with Him and He would lead us. And its not just society and our world that has the problem. On this side of heaven, our flesh/sinful nature just loves to grasp onto things. Things that make us smile, things that make us feel important or significant, things that make us "fit in" and so on. But for how long do these things make us "feel" good? God made us to worship, but when we are worshipping other things or even ourselves by having everything being for us than we are missing out on the amazing way that He fulfills to the innermost part of us; the part that we are afraid to look at even if it is just us looking. See, but we can even make an idol out of the way we think God should be. If we have Him in a box which restricts what we will allow Him to do in our lives and things we will not allow Him to do, than this also can become an idol. Seriously, our flesh will worship anything.

I believe that this is why it is so important to ask God to search our hearts on a regular basis. As it says in Psalm 139, "Search me oh God and know my heart, try me and test my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way." God knows the way we are and when we ask Him for help, He is so faithful to lead us in His ways and to point out things that we need to lay aside because they are becoming too important to us. I want to start asking God to show me what needs to change so I can walk closer to You Jesus today. When we are wanting to hear Him and wanting to learn, I believe He is so faithful to teach and speak to us. We are His children and He can get the idols out of our lives and fill us to overflowing if we'd only stop thinking we can find it in other things.
Just some things I've been thinking about.

We're Backkkkkk...!!!!

Why hello there friends whoever you are that are potentially reading this.

As some of you may know, I recently came back to the town of Winnipeg after being in BC on a very small island known as Thetis Island (by others it is known as Fetus Island. But what silly people are those anyways?). I was attending Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre. This was a pretty amazing and significant year for me for many reasons. Some of these reasons may come up in future posts so just you wait. Okay well one thing that is new is that I actually feel like there is more that I can say that actually isn't silly. Now don't get me wrong, I love using my sense of humour, I just am thinking right now about how that used to be all I really felt like I could write down in a blog. And don't worry, that will definitely still be part of my blog. I'm only saying that there will be more versatility to my blog as of now. So that is new and exciting and is a pretty sweet piece of evidence that God can do amazing things. Praise Him!

For now I will write out the lyrics to this song that I am really really loving the words to right now by Jennifer Knapp.

Usher Me Down - by Jennifer Knapp

alone, alone is where I'll be
waiting, waiting so patiently
escape this little war raging
one still small voice
come rescue me

why wait, why wait
why wait for You to usher me down
many o, many o, Lord, my God
the wonders that I have found
when You usher me down

sacrafice and offering
You do not desire of me
I say here I am, You come
as if I never had to call

why wait, why wait
why wait for You to usher me down
many o, many o, Lord, my God
the wonders that I have found
when you usher me down

who could replace You?
none I know of
the Throne is Yours alone
left to stand unshaken
can't be taken back
can't be taken back

why wait, why wait
why wait for You to usher me down
many o, many o, Lord, my God
the wonders that I have found
the wonders that I have found
when You usher me down.

I think this is an awesome song. Check it out on You Tube or something in my opinion.