ALONE

I am reading through Isaiah right now and it is difficult to read through without noticing that God is really big on the fact that He alone is God.  There are countless rants throughout the book covering the subject of idols, which can pretty much be sufficiently covered by the very technical and theological statement, “People who worship idols that they made are downright stupid.”  Period, the END.  Oh, if only it were that simple to identify our own idols…

Usually I try to needle out my own idols by  identifying the places in my life that I put my trust in instead of God.  But this time through, I wanted to focus on what God said about himself:

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. – Isaiah 46:9

Alone.  He ALONE is God.  I typically translate this into:  God is the ONLY God.  But there is more:  I looked up the definition of the word ‘alone’  because, after all, isn’t that the cool thing to do when you are studying the bible?  LOL.  Anyway, here’s a definition that popped out at me:

a·lone

adverb /əˈlōn/ Without others’ help or participation; single-handed

I decided maybe I should take a look at my life through a different set of glasses.  What things do I think are aiding God with my life/direction/purpose/dreams/etc?  The overwhelming answer to this question is ME.  Therefore, I am my own idol.

Most of the time I would be willing to bet you almost anything that if I didnt get off the couch for whole day that everything would go to you-know-where in a handbasket, on a high-speed train, with a one-way ticket.

I dare you to read through Isaiah with the understanding that you are your own idol.  It is pretty hilarious.  There are many times when God is so obviously making fun of those that put their faith and trust in their false gods.  He says things to the effect of, “Go ahead, I’ll wait, ask your idol what will come in the future….you’ve got nothing?  How shocking….”  and often times, “Call on your god….Can he save you now?  No?  Can he save you now?  No?”

I can just picture God up there talking to me, wondering when I am going to stop thinking that it is up to me to aid Him and figure out his plan for my future, so that I can start the necessary preparations.  Let’s be honest….when it comes down to it, I just can’t save myself.  I never could.  I never will.  He started out saving me from an eternity without Him, he went on to save me from the hurts and choices of my past, and he continually saves me from a life without joy.  I am proud of my accomplishments in life, but now that I think about it, any saving that was ever truly important, was done by the Lord…. alone.

I am NOT saying it is ok to sit around and do nothing all the time and expect God to do the miraculous around you while you chow down on Oreos.  I am saying that we should do ‘everything as unto the Lord.’  What I mean is, we should ‘do’ as a part of HIS plan to save this world around us, not out of our own methods and devices based on what we think needs to be done.  I just mean it is time to put on a different set of glasses and truly see that He ALONE is God.

Lord, I ask that you will help me to see the world around me as you do.  Help me to destroy my own thinking that I can somehow save myself from doom.  Help me to knock out the attitude that I will do everything I can to prepare, just in case You don’t show up.  You always show up!  Help me to get to see how you orchestrate my movements to fit into your plan.  Change my thinking so that I am always concerned with being in the middle of your plan, rather than my plan B.  I love you, Lord and I praise you that you are always revealing your heart to me, and that you never let me stay the same!

-girly-

The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.  He trusts something that can’t help him at all.  Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”  - Isaiah 44:20

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