You must demolish completely all the places where the nations whom you are about to dispossess served their gods, on the mountain heights, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. (Deuteronomy 12:2)
In my early teens my mom and dad operated a small country store. At its height, we sold gas, meat, candy and pop, even fresh baked items. As kids, we had to clean, stock shelves, and of course take inventory. Taking inventory meant counting how many cans of soup were on the shelf or how many Hershey chocolate bars were under the candy stand. I will confess when I counted candy bars, I usually counted one less than were really there.
Inventory was important. It let dad know what we had, what was selling or not selling, and what he needed to order.
Taking a personal inventory is often recommended by counselors, clinicians and self-help books. We are encouraged to take inventory of our skills, our feelings, our blessings. These personal inventories give us a sense of the resources we have available to us to handle life and get by.
A spiritual inventory might include counting our blessings, noting when God's presence has felt strong, and reflecting on our spiritual gifts. It also might include (should include) an honest assessment of all the other gods and idols that fill our lives.
Our world is filled with gods and idols. Some are more or less harmless, like the worship of celebrities or sports teams. Others are quite harmful, such as the way Americans worship guns. Idols abound, and God is clear about what we should do with our false idols.
We should demolish them completely.
God knows the false idols of this world are quite appealing. They promise a tangible yet false presence and comfort. As the Hebrew people came into the Promised Land, God knew the idols and gods that had been worshiped by those who previously lived in the land would prove a real temptation when things got challenging. Therefore, God's instruction was to demolish them completely. Let the focus be solely upon the God who delivered them.
An honest inventory of the gods and idols of our lives can help return us to God's path for our lives. Letting go of those false gods will give us more space to build God's beloved community.
Worship This Week
Sunday, 9am, in the Peace Garden
Guest Worship Leader: Terry Meyers
There will be no live stream this week
Keep In Prayer:
Janet Santana, Rick Graham, Marvin Homan, Sherry Williams, Sherry's friend Cheryl, Mary Wallen, Dee Kuhlman,
Kathy Sanders