Guard Against Idols
But guard yourselves and guard your whole being diligently, so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen and so that those things do not disappear from your heart all the rest of the days of your life. Make them known to your children and to your children’s children. (Deuteronomy 4:9)
As the people of Israel looked forward to their entry into the Promised Land, Moses reminded them of the things that God had done and said to and for them. They were entering into a land filled with idol worship, and it would be easy to turn away from God. But God was the one who had watched over Israel in the desert and had even brought them up out of Egypt. The generation before this generation of Israelites that stood before Moses had heard God speak to them from Mount Sinai. Moses did not want the people of Israel to turn away from God and follow after the pagan gods. He told the people of Israel to guard themselves, to keep watch over themselves. If they were not careful, they would fall into idolatry and lose God’s Word.
There are many things in our world today that compete for our attention. Ads on the TV or radio tell us we need this or we need that. Society tells us that we need more money and toys. Our family members want us to spend more time with them. And our brain is constantly reminding us of all the things that we need to do.
Any of these things and more can become our idols. If we aren’t careful, it can consume us and take us away from God and his Word. It can lead us into idolatry, and rob us of the eternal life that we have through Jesus. But God has done wonderful things for us, that we do well to remember. He has given us his Son, Jesus, as our atoning sacrifice. He has washed us clean from sin and has given us a robe of righteousness. He has made us his children and given us eternal life in heaven. These are the things that we take to heart and keep before us so that we do not lose God’s Word. These are the things that we teach to our children and our grandchildren so that they too may enjoy these benefits. These are the things that make it worth guarding ourselves against all the things that seek to become our idols. So let us continue to guard ourselves and keep remembering all that God has done for us. Amen.
The song for today is “All to Jesus I Surrender” by Robin Mark