, I tend to over use the squirrel! distraction far too much. But bear with me as I use it just one more time.
According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary: An idol is anything which usurps the place of God in the hearts of his rational creatures.
Hmm. Interesting. What usurps the place of God in my heart? The kind of a distraction like a squirrel is to a dog who should be minding his master.
A Hebrew word translated as "idol" is miphletseth and it means horrid thing, or horrible thing. This word was used for the object that the mother of Asa made in a grove.
Did you know that the worshipers of idols are said to be under Satan's control?
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)
What idols of today keep people in darkness?
My husband watched Megamind
with our kids. I was gone for the evening, but later asked him what he thought of the movie. He turned green around the gills and said that he wouldn't let the kids watch it again. Why? Because of the music, "Highway to Hell" and "Back in Black." Perhaps for some people these songs would have no ill-effect but, for my husband, it left a very bad taste in his mouth. These songs, to him, represented a style of music and lyrics that calls people away from God into a very dark world and holds them there.
Since I did not listen to this type of music in my youth, I probably wouldn't have recognized what the songs represented. Likely, it wouldn't have drawn me to "the dark side." But for some people such music provides another venue for Satan to control them.
What does draw me? Busyness. I like to be busy, and my endless dreaming up of new things to do sometimes pulls me away from trusting God to lead me. I'm like the dog who sees the squirrel and chases after it.
There are probably many other things that I am tempted to allow usurp God in my life. I recognize how easy it is for me to be deceived into believing I am worshiping God, or at least not dishonoring Him, when some minute distraction pulls me away from following Him--things that are my Squirrel!
Lynn Squire loves the Lord, loves her husband, and loves her three children. When she's not serving her church or serving her family, she writes. Her book, Joab's Fire
, is now available on Amazon.com. You can read more of her work at http://www.presentingbiblicaltruths.com/.
The Pastor's Wife Speaks is a safe place for women living on the front lines of ministry to share and support each other. But you don't have to be married to a pastor to hang out here. Regardless of how you're connected to ministry, you are welcome. Enjoy and be blessed!
Good point, Lynn. Idols will be any of the things that take a higher priority than God in our daily lives... those seemingly innocuous pursuits that capture our attention and divert our focus.
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