Long ago Jeremiah wrote about people who trusted in gods and idols they built with their hands. From Jeremiah 10: 3-5 “they cut a tree out of the forest and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold, they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk.”
Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? What about today?
I was just in Las Vegas.
Lots of incredible buildings made by skilled craftsmen. Lots of silver and gold opulence on display. Amazing venues elevating gaming with endless lures of implied promises of wealth, on display everywhere.
I saw eyes in the sky everywhere and leery pit bosses watching every move of players and their own dealers and croupiers because their empires are not secure.
All of this was a façade. It was yelling, dinging and ringing. However, in actuality it was inherently flawed. Neither solid nor secure, and in the end it really could not deliver. The images could not speak or walk, nor stand on their own.
I was amazed at the excessiveness and the hollowness. People were laughing and following along but I had a sense that they would eventually ask: what did it all mean? Temporary thrills with rapidly appearing realities.
Jeremiah 10:7 states: “Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you”. And Jeremiah 10:9 states: “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King”. And 10:16 states: “he is the maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance, the Lord Almighty is his name.
At the end of the day – when we wise up – we see there is no one like God. He is truth. He is living and eternal. He has made everything, even people. And we can know him; we know his name, The Lord Almighty.
In Las Vegas it is all grossly and obviously on display. But in our everyday lives we can also be duped. It’s just more subtle. Let’s trust in the eternal living God. Not trees cut by craftsmen, silver and gold and things that ultimately totter.
Barnabas Man 