Day 268: Can Man Make a God?

Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 41:6-20

Central Thought: Man’s efforts to make a god of the things he uses every day are foolish and profitless.

In all of today’s readings, God implores His people, both Israel and the Church, to follow the reasonable life: love and obey the Creator of the universe and everything in it. The wind, waves, beasts, and birds all obey him. Even unbelieving Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, obeyed God’s will.

Take the example of the man who selects a tree from the forest. He cuts the tree down and takes it to his workshop. Then he proceeds to cut it into pieces he can use. Perhaps he makes some furniture for his house or makes something to sell. He uses the scraps for firewood to heat his home and prepare his meal.

Then what would possess the same man to take a block of the same tree and fashion it into an idol before which he bows and proclaims to be his ‘god”? How dumb is that? Can a piece of carved wood save you? Heal you? Prepare a place in Heaven for you? What good is a god that can do nothing? The problem is not with the wood, but with the man!

It is much better to serve the God who makes everything than to serve a god that can do nothing.

Devotional Prayer: God, lead us into Your wisdom every day so that our efforts will be pleasing to You and profitable to us as we rejoice in Your loving kindnesses. May we never allow any ‘thing” to become our ‘god.”

Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 43:14-45:10; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 24:1-2