2 Kings 3; 2 Thessalonians 3; Daniel 7; Psalm 114-115

² Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 115: 2-8)

Why would someone ever worship a statue? It just seems so illogical to me. I understand how people do not believe in our God, but I do not understand those that worship statues. I know we can make things into idols, like our jobs, money, prestige, power, looks, clothes, possessions, and even our families, and we can worship them by giving these things more time and attention than we should, but actually bowing down to a statue still baffles me.

If I get over this and simply see the idols that the psalmist speaks of as today’s idols, Psalm 115 makes sense. We can worship things we and others create vs. worshiping the creator. Not only do these idols not have the power it looks like they have, but those that worship them also do not have power, either.

On the other hand, we are to stay busy and be productive. The apostle Paul says:

We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. (2 Thessalonians 3: 7-12)

“They are not busy; they are busybodies.” I love that! I think we all know of times when people (even ourselves, if we are honest) are busybodies instead of being busy bodies.

God wants me to stay busy and not pass judgement on what everyone else is doing or not doing. God wants me to be productive, but He does not want me to worship the things I create.  I need reminders that God needs to be the object of my worship. God alone has the power. God alone deserves glory.

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