The Rabbi

Beginning my response, Rabbi, I must articulate my polytheistic worldview: I believe in the existence of many elohim, many gods, whatever those divine beings may be. But, I believe Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be the only TRUE god, not negating the existence of the others, but He is only supreme God. He is in a class above them all, just by Himself. My God is the Divine Trinity, the mysterious triune, the mystical Father, Son, and Spirit—all in the One God. Ehad Adoni, the Lord is One. My God is the Awesome, the Most High. So I am a pagan—shoot me, fundamentalists.

Maybe I’m too simple, but I have always assumed my purpose is and found delight in giving God’s name glory. Sure, the Catechistic phrase “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” comes to mind, but I think its more than just a stated purpose. I have had to learn how to embrace and make my own this process of glorifying my Creator, my Father, and the Almighty God. Circumstances shouldn’t matter, though often I make them matter, in glorifying God. “Praise You in the Storm” has become kinda a personal goal of mine.

I have learned by past experiences that even if I can deduce God’s purpose in sending me some hard situation, because I think we can trace all things back to God except my own sin, that my own heart becomes quiet when in the most absurd situations, I make a conscious decision to praise God. So after its all over, that for me is the easiest time to praise. The hard points are when I am fighting and struggling, confused and weary… right in the middle of all the hardest things, when it doesn’t make sense to praise, that God might be most glorified. Looking to the future can be a scary, absurd thing. I have no clue what tomorrow holds, but I know God is always faithful to His plan, so I praise and glorify Him for that. I think now in life, I am working towards Paul’s “content in all situations” which is form me a conscious reflecting that God will be true to His word and His plan, no matter how it seems to me.

Obviously, again maybe I’m too simple, I ask where God is when I can’t feel Him. Maybe my perceived reality, but that won’t stop me from reaching out, even if God is right next to me and asking Him why I can’t feel Him. Hard times, to me, don’t mean anymore that God isn’t there. Usually I need God to send those hard times if I am just honest with myself and my situation, so I can praise Him for being faithful to give me what I need, nice or no so pleasant. No one ever defeats my Yahweh… even if it seems they have. I have no proof, for I feel my God just as strongly as an Islamic feels his Allah. All I know is that God is Alive because He has told me so in a book that I know is His word: my defense for all this is a completely irrational certainty, faith. But God gave me this sense of His or I wouldn’t be so sure.

Fascinating, how stupid we are to admire and worship what we make. Wake up stupid, it can’t save you if you can’t save yourself. If anything threatens to become an idol, I would rather cut out my own heart than stop feeling God. Nothing is worth that much. If faith means at times that I can’t feel Him, I would rather cling to faith and the surety I have from Him than some stupid idol. What if I’m wrong? Then I will sincerely die having sincerely believed. Without Yahweh life is meaningless and I should just kill myself now, save myself the pain of another doing so – life and Ecclesiastes tell me this.

I like remembering what God has done. It cultivates hope, I should do it more. I am guilty of not remembering some of the most basic things from Him.

So these dead guys in v. 17? Can I play both? Our ancestors died in disbelief, and we are dying out here in exile, because we can’t feel you God? God, don’t make us dead like them ,we are trying to have faith? Yes. Alas, I kill myself everyday with an idol—because I think my stupid human nature is forgetful. I sin. I sin because I forget God. Or I don’t care. But I tend to care a lot, so I take on so much that I forget frequently. What are some key ways to remember? How can I avoid idols and do what I want to do, glorify God? Can I suggest that the key is remembering Him? Anyone have suggestions on how to remember better? Disciplines can become dead, we need more of the Alive Word that dead methodology. I'm a sinner, I confess; an idolator with the worst. God have mercy on my soul.

Hannah

It is a great mystery how anyone could replace God with a man made object/idol!! However I don't know about you but I seemingly do it everyday. An idol can be almost anything granted in ancient Israel it was an actual statue of some sort for the most part, but today an idol can be many things (computer, tv, cellphone, another person, etc....). While I know I never want to replace God with an idol it seems that many times we do. So replacing God for an idol seems to be quite simple, and many times we are not aware that we are replacing God with an idol. I think the previous statement fits. Consciously I would tend to say I don't set out to worship idols, but yet it happens quite often.

My final comment will be.......God please remove and point out to me the idols in my life (even if they are hidden to my eyes).

I am also wondering why people wnat to replace God with some sort of man created god or idol.
maybe, because they are so weak, feeble, infirm, frail and sickly,they may be needed to depend on more visual and concrete things like idols.
God, Please give me strong, deep, pious and devout faith and belief toward you(God) without my mind's shaking toward idols.

I am also wondering why people want to replace God with some sort of man created god or idol.
maybe, because they are so weak, feeble, infirm, frail and sickly,they may be needed to depend on more visual and concrete things like idols.
God, Please give me strong, deep, pious and devout faith and belief toward you(God) without my mind's shaking toward idols.

Idols. Where would we be if God did not seek us out? We would all probably be worshiping some “other” god; some form of idol. What if God was more like the Deist believes? What if he created the Earth, “wound up the clock” so to speak, and let go just to observe what would happen and nothing more. You don’t have to read very far into the Genesis account to see that if left on our own, we will do some pretty crazy, messed up, evil stuff, including worshipping idols. Paul says in Romans that man just needs to look at creation and know there is a God… or at least a god.

So if God never revealed himself, you would have a bunch of people running around, knowing that somewhere a god existed, but unable to know him. Is god in the water? It is pretty powerful and scary. To be feared and respected for certain. But wait, what about the sky? The storms and the lightning, surely there is a god there who can cause such a torrent. It really is no wonder or mystery why people search for God. They believe because they should, they need to believe in God because his handy work is demonstrated in creation. The Psalmist here acknowledges that God was the creator of the heavens and the earth (v 15). He then makes this statement, what I believe is part of the problem. The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men (v16).

The Deists are incorrect, God is more than a divine clock maker, and we know that because he has revealed himself. At the time of the Psalmist he had already revealed himself to the nation of Israel, and it was their function (the sons of men who had been given authority on earth) to live obediently before God. In doing so they would have caused a stir among the surrounding nations and “the people” would respond saying, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (Deut 4).”

A good witness can go a long way toward pointing the lost to the one true God. It won’t work for everyone, we had Jesus and still some resisted. What about today, is there any reason for the world to toss away their idols? The reputation of the church is always so tainted with the actions of a few stupid people. How about those believers that whine through every difficult situation, what a powerful God they display. How about the plethora of defeated, nominal believers? How powerful does their God (which just so happens to be our God) appear to be? My question is this… Are we at least in part – responsible for the unbelief, and misplaced trust of the unsaved world?

As to verse 17, I have two totally different thoughts.

1) The Psalmist is speaking of the three realms. The heavens, the earth, and the place of the dead. The heavens representing a place where God receives all the praise (v 16). The dead representing a place void of God’s praise (v 17). In the middle is the earth – where men will either decide to praise or withhold praise. The Psalmist declares that his choice will be to bless the Lord (v 18).

2) The Psalmist describes the fate of those who manufacture, and those who trust in idols (v 8). Perhaps the dead in v 17 are referring to the idol worshippers. They are dead, or as good as dead, and cannot/will not praise God.

Hey Scott, I like that, where would be if God didn't speak to us? The whole idea of paganism is that its appreciation of the creation without knowing the Creator? So would is be natural for us to create images to try and capture the image of some force behind creation? Or assigning male/female identities to the Creation itself.
Even considering that God has revealed Himself to us, I think we probably tend to read too much of us into God rather than the other way around. Its hard to think that I cannot prove my God to anyone else... that the best proof I can give is a life by faith, but even then I have to be careful not to erect some idol in my heart. I think there may be a difference between perpetual idol worship and merely idol maintenance. Does a righteous man have no idols? Hm... some would say thats impossible for humanity.

Hannah

For whatever reason, I find myself thinking of Rev 3:15- 16 where it says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." The comment made on vs 8 where the question is proposed as to whether a christian should blindly follow the dictates of others. But when did we start putting others before the Lord? When did we start allowing peer-pressure (and persecution) decide our next move? Is that not what unbiblical laws are causing Christians to do? If we cant figure out who we follow, then we cant be true followers.

Hannah, I love your thought: "Its hard to think that I cannot prove my God to anyone else... that the best proof I can give is a life by faith." When things are going well, I proclaim my success comes from God alone and no one seems to pay attention. It seems however, when I'm not at my best; when my faith is weak; when my "God is in control" turns into "God! What are you doing?!" THAT is the time when everyone looks. I get very frustrated that I can't get it together. I hold out hope as long as I can and right after I break, God shows up. That makes me feel like Saul at Gilgal, when what I wanted was the resolve of David like we see here in Ps 115.

This is a very powerful chapter and this encourages me as I walk through life each and every day. This reminds me to focus on GOd and the greatest influence He has in my life, there are so many Godly influences in my life my parents, my pastor and friends but they should not be more important than God. There are alot of "American Idols" out there with a strong worldly influence.

The LORD is our trust and our sheild. He alone can protect us during times of trouble. We should lean on Him for our strength. We should look to Him when it seems the whole world is coming down on us. So why do I start freaking out and look to myself and other people to fix my problems? I turn to my idols and hope they will help. Not only is this pointless, it's just plain stupid. How often do I forget my God in times of troubles. Those times I do remember are so amazing, just to simply rest in God. I wish I had more times like those. I like the nation of Israel have to be constantly reminded of who my God is and what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do for me. I think this is the point of the psalm. It's a reminder to remain faithful to Yhvh (Adonai), the one true God.

So often when troubles come it is easy for me to turn to other things (such as sports, hanging with my friends, etc.) to try and relieve the stress from the problems I am facing. Instead I should be turning to God FIRST as He is the ONLY way that my problems can be solved, or my troubles taken away. God gives me these difficult times to draw close to Him. I think so often I could have avoided some of the trouble or pain that I have gone through if I had just learned to turn to God FIRST instead of something else (one of my idols). I pray that in the future I will turn to God immediately when hard times come my way, and that I will not have to learn the same lesson over again.

Lately, I've been really seeking God to help me in my every day routine, something that I never bothered with before. I ask for His help in simple things like getting a good night's rest and being able stay alert during classes and things like that, and I have experience His answer to prayer especially this past week. Sometimes, if not most of the time, when I have stress or am having a problem, my first reaction is not that God is testing my faith. I usually pray that He will remove the stress/problem instead of asking Him to strengthen me through it. I am so impressed by the power of prayer as of lately and I am more eager to pray now than I ever was before because of how God has shown himself to me.
**I just wanted to note that even as I type this comment, God has answered a prayer of mine. A friend asked me to pray for a friend of his who's walk with the Lord has been sliding lately. He just told me over instant messenger that his friend is starting to take steps in the right direction. God is so good!!

I do not understand how anyone could worship something just as sinful as themselves, but then again I do the same to some extent almost everyday. I too am just as guilty of placing idols in God's place in my life. What can be done about this? Continual time spent reading God's word is one way to help keep my eyes on the One who matters most. I like how Dan said that we should be at a point in our walk where we can say "God, please remove and point out to me the idols in my life (even if they are hidden to my eyes)." My prayer matches this statement.

The lesson that I am learning this semester is to trust God in midst of any circumstance. It is like a trust fall whereby you trust your partner that he/she would not let you fall, and then fall into his/her hands. Well! I don't know how I would feel like to fall into my partner's hand, maybe if that person is 10 times bigger than me, I would definitely close my eyes and jump. Anyway, I learned to fall into my Abba's hand's because I know that he will definitely catch me, and he will never leave me nor forsake me. I have the assurance that he is with me, and He will be with anyone who seeks him faithfully, and trust in him.
The bible speaks of the extra ordinary men who left their footprints of example for us to follow, and learn lessons from their life experience. One of them was my second hero Daniel (First is Elijah). Daniel trusted in God inspite of his present situation. The man of God lived (exile) among the pagans, and in every situation God showed himself powerful on Daniel's behalf.

Of course ! The high point of tension arose when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. Did God fail to rescue my hero, definitely not ..here comes the king near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?." God rescued Daniel from the lions' den.

This week, I faced a hard situation (if you don't mind! may I call it as a test). I was broken into pieces and realized that everything landed upon my head all of a sudden in one day, one after the other, and it continued. Emotionally I sledded down. I understood that I was in the lions' den too. The lions that I faced were the worries, grief, pain, and fear. Let me explain more clearly...My dad's health condition, debt to the college, judgmental people, and a broken heart. God spoke to my heart and reminded me to remember my past how he walked me through everything. I remembered everything. God did lift me out of the lions' den. The lions are out there, but I have my God here (in my Heart). He has given me peace, and once again humbled me to trust in him wholeheartedly, and I fell into his arms. My greatest fear is that I was going to be a fatherless child, but My Abba reminded me that I am getting worried of the lion who is waiting to devour me... He reminded me to resist that lion, and also He assured me that he is going to shut it's mouth.

He granted me the peace that He is faithful to his promise. God did not let the pagans laugh at Daniel or question him “where is his God?.” God is great, he understands the human mentality. He elevated Daniel, likewise God is able to elevate the humble ones who put their trust in him.

Well! I cannot fight those lions, but I can ask Abba to fight them for me because the battle belongs to the Lord, and we do not need to lift our fingers (Ex. 14:14).

"gods in the image of man: mouths work silently, ears for earrings nothing more, eyes with cataracts, noses hardly savor, hands frozen, feet but not for walking."

This part really hit me.. i often find myself amazed as some of the simplest concepts and characteristics about God, but when i actually take the time and reflect on the simple truths that i often take for granted i am just awed by God and who he is. this phrase, especially the part that says 'ears for earrings nothing more' really stood out to me because way to often we do create gods for ourselves hoping that they might give us the comfort and peace we long for and only can receive from the one true God. we find ourselves waiting and hoping for the answers from something that's 'mouth works silently'. and then when its all over and we've chased this thing that we thought would fill that void, we are left empty, if not more empty than we were before we began running. way too much we forget that God is standing right there waiting for us, with a mouth that speaks great words of comfort, and ears that hear even our quietest concerns, and eyes that see our every minute of our every day, and hands that are their to hold us when we need it most, and feet that run towards us and help show us the way when we're lost. we forget that he is calling out our name and waiting patiently for us to realize that he is the only thing that stands and that can fulfill our every desire. but instead way to often we choose to chase, with all our might, after something that wasn't even made with ears to hear us, but only with the capability of wearing an earing and looking nice...

The beginning of verse 12 stuck out to me the most out of the whole chapter. It states " The Lord has remembered us," and those five words brought me encouragement. For me, I feel like it is so much easier to trust my God when things are rough and things aren't going my way, because I know that He is working and is doing something wonderful in my life. I know through these hard times I am being broken to be strengthened. Through each trial, I just get to know my Savior in a more intimate level. He won't allow those hard times without a purpose. I struggle seeing God's hand in the "quiet times" (as my friend likes to put it). Those times when I feel like nothing is really going on, and I am not really sure what the task at hand really is when I struggle feeling God's hand. It's easy to know what you need to learn or what God is teaching you when there is a storm in your life, but when the sea is calm but its not like the sun is out...what is God doing? What is He trying to teach me then? But everyday He reminds me that He has great plans for me and I just need keep my eyes on Him regardless of if I am in the midst of a storm or a calm sea. He "has remembered [me]." He will always remember me, He is always working. What more could I ask?

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.

The first verse of this Psalm makes me think of elsewhere in the Bible where the focus of a prayer is the glory of the Lord…

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. – Matthew 26.39
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name! – John 12.27-28

The question you pose – Why I give glory to God – rests for me in the freedom you mention later. His love, His mercy, and His grace have set me free to more fully understand His sovereignty, His goodness, and His faithfulness. Those who know Your Name will trust in You, O God, for You have never forsaken those who seek You. By releasing me from the futility of a focus on this life alone and on myself only, He has allowed me to see His purpose – setting me free to love Him and to love others…I give glory to God because the LORD sustains me.
He is NOT a God made by men, but wholly other. He speaks, He hears, He sees – He creates, He reigns, He orders. Why indeed does the world mock Him?!
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?...How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
I give glory to God because it makes no sense to give glory to any other. And in light of His claim to be good and His promise to have the best for me, it makes no sense to live for any other…

It is difficult for me to find comfort in verse 8 of 115. I understand that it holds hope for those who would choose to reject the idols of this world…but I read simply that for those who choose to live instead for what they can gain in this life, time is short. It breaks my heart to know that many that I love, and even so many that I will never meet, will go through life not knowing the freedom of God’s love and then will spend eternity apart from Him. I know that God is good and that He is fair and that this must be how it must be…but I love the lost. Their mock no longer offends me but makes me sad for what they do not yet comprehend…

Verses 9-11: Trust in the Lord – He is [our] help and shield – 3 times! True, He has been faithful; and will be.

I admit to your proposition of replacing God at times with an idol created by men…even in doing it I am baffled by such a mindset. If I believe God to be who He says He is and believe that His word is true and He is faithful to fulfill what He has promised – again, nothing makes more sense than to trust Him. Daily grace alone can keep me conscious of such a perspective.

As with most things, I have procrastinated
in doing this. This, I think is my tendency
toward worshipping that which is not God.I
praise him daily for who he is, ask for his
guidance, and then turn around and do what
suits me. But I also see many examples of
the same in scripture, of those considered\
Godly, so I will continue to ask, and seek,
because I want to know God and please him.
As far as the dead in verse 17, I have
thought that statements like this, in the
OT show that the dead are silent, awaiting
resurrection, either to eternal blessing or
judgement. But perhaps, I need to examine
again the context of what is being said.

I think a lot of the time, when things are going well in my own life I attribute it to the fact that I did something right, said the right thing, or was able to solve the problem in my own strength. I know that going to God first no matter what the situation is should always be the thing to do, but I personally am prone to "sorting" the problems out into two categories: things I think I can handle on my own, and then ones I need God's help with. In reality, all of them should be in the second category, but I guess I just don't want to bother God with all the tiny details of my life cause He's got more important things to worry about. Lately things have started to change. I have to agree with Beth Nuernberger how she is beginning to take the small stuff to God and is seeing real answer to prayer. I think that's where the challenge comes in. Learning to be faithful in the small things and giving praise and glory to God for what He has done, not what I have done. We need to avoid the pitfall of turning ourselves into idols by surrending to God, recognizing His plan for our lives, and praising Him no matter the outcome.

I kind of agree with both options. The dead ones could mean those who failed to maintain their faith in exile. They probably thought 'God has given us too much to bear, we can't take it anymore' and they died. Being in exile could feel like one is dead; to feel distant from God and experience His discipline may not be the best place to be. They did not lose their faith but instead chose to plead with God,'' God You deserve to be praised and the dead can't do it, deliver us so we can give you what's due You.

When I read passages like this one concerning God's people turning to worship other gods, my first response is, how could someone do that to someone who has done so much for them. I initially think of some kind of idol that man has made that is placed on the mantle in the main room of a house of which is bowed down to on a regular basis. I don't think of the everyday things that I do or spend time with that replace God. God deserves all of our praise and worship, I know this. Sometimes, however, I get caught up in things that take the place of God in my life. Anything that is placed before God in any way is an idol, and I need to see it as that in order to keep him first. I need to make sure that I'm reevaluating my priorities everyday to ensure that no "idols" take the place of God in my life.

I often wonder about idols. if it is considered anything you put before God, then we are all in trouble. Does our school work come before God. Do our ministries come before God, what about our family, friends, good works? Is our focus on Him or on what we are doing for Him?

Yeah, fundamenals are not bad as Hannah so put it. Many times they are just misguided. I fundamentals are basics of the faith and that is a good thing. Yeah I wonder about idol worship. We do that to an extent. I guess we don't really worship the cross we wear around our neck or the bracelet on our wrist but we hold them pretty high. Isn't that what Neb did in Daniel. He made an image of himself and here we are making an image of God. I know that the original image is different. God and Neb are not the same. I guess we have reminders. Are they the same thing. Reminders and idols. Probably not but what if I have a toy of Jesus in my room. I don't worship it. It doesn't even look like Jesus. My toy is white with brown hair and a perfectly white robe with a red sash. It is beautiful.

Obedience to God, is often painful; yet disobedience is outright tragic. Though I can quote Romans 8:28 it does me little comfort at times when The Way becomes life suckingly narrow. True obedience to God takes faith, yes, but it also takes reckless abandonment. It often entails a life lived contrary to the experts. It's realizing that just because The Family Life Network says something is true, doesn't mean that it is, and trusting in God enough to say so. It encompasses knowing that God loves you, even when your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ do not. And do I dare say it means stepping out of the crowd to stand up for what you know is right; or worse yet, admitting you didn't vote Republican for the last election? On a Christian Commune, no less?
“Trust and Obey” is a cute catchphrase; but the process of living that out is a difficult matter

The first paragraph of the blog made me stop and consider a deeper prayer life with my spouse. We pray, but taking turns praying the same Psalm spoke to my heart. God is awakening in me the importance of spousal influence. A bad example was discovered in my reading for former prophets: Jezebel’s influence (1 Kings 21). However, Dr. and Mrs. Snyder prove otherwise, for that thank you.

I first read Psalm 119:41-48. I began to count the pronoun usage. The Psalmist uses the first person pronouns (I, me, my) 16 times but uses the second person (you) only 11 times. My first impression was that the writer’s emphasis was misdirected. I questioned, ‘if you love His decrees (v.48) then why do you wait for love and salvation before answering (v.42)?’

I found my answer in the preceding verses (33-40). In summary, these verses request God’s enabling on the Psalmist. It was then that I realized, the Psalmists focus was not misdirected, for apart from God’s enabling assistance (2nd person, you) the first person (I) can not answer/obey/respond. Unfortunately, even with his enabling we (I) still fail. Therefore, all the more reason to pray Psalms 119:33-40: God, enable me! Better yet, let’s pray as a couple: enable us!

When i turned over the pages of Bible with thinking about "idol" (after reading psalm 115:2-8), my hand stopped on First John. There was the one note (from General Epistle class) said "anything between you and God is idol." when i create god/idol, i can be lifeless as if 115:8 mentions. because then i don't stand on the truth = life, i think. as Colossians 1:16, if we are created for God, i think that the life should be used for glorify God, and nothing more... i don't want to replace God with idol/gods. however, as it's written, i also do it so many times... maybe, that is why, vs.2-8 has been sticking in me. i have been thinking about this chapter long time, however i don't know what to say it.

I know that I need to give glory to God, but I think there are too many times that i fail at this. I wonder if I can remember with any ease of the things God has done for me, can I in some way think of the Israelites' and the early church's history to help me think of God's glory? To then hopefully give him a richer glory and praise? I should remember my place in God's plan right? That he has plans for me to follow and that I should do so willingly? can I learn to glorify Yahweh better easily or is it a long task? I think perhaps a life long task?

I need to also remember especially in the trails (as James amongst other writings reminds us) to trust God. That Yahweh can't be defeated by Marduk, Anath, Ba'al or any other gods that might arise. Any "true" or of mine own making. God is as you pointed out high in heaven with all power and able to do with us as he pleases. He is God after all. Thankfully he is mercifully and just, so I can trust my powerful God, Yahweh.

Be Holy, for I am Holy. My ultimate goal I suppose is to be Holy. One I guess that I'll never attain, that is until I and Sheol meet. I suppose I can live with having to follow my God's direction. What's the alternative? Follow Belial? I think I'll pass I think I need to try also to focus on Yahweh and less on these other gods and goddesses of my live. Perhaps life might be better then

Matt, are we going to Sheol? I wonder if we stay here somehow after death... but I tangent.I like your "Be Holy" and if Yhwh alone is Holy, I will worship Yhwh.

Psalm 115 is about the Impotence of Idols and the
Greatness of God.

I want to brag about this Great God who has saved me,
a sinner.I want to give all the glory to His name
for the sake of His steadfast love and faithfulness.
Those who call ourselves as His children, ought to be
living witnesses, not as those who worship the Idols.
Their Idols are silver and gold as the Psalm says.

Here is something about the Idols.Indeed it is true
that people to this day make Idols for themselves
in various forms and worship them,every day and several times a day.Those of us who have an opportunity to live in this civilized country also have to pause and examin ourselves to see whether we knowingly or unknowingly
have created any Idols for ourselves like,fame&fortune,
if so we are dead in the spirit.

Let us tell the world about the Greatness of this living God
when ever it is possible because the world is watching us.
Let us worship The Creator, not the creation.

Psalm 115 is about the Impotence of Idols and the
Greatness of God.

I want to brag about this Great God who has saved me,
a sinner.I want to give all the glory to His name
for the sake of His steadfast love and faithfulness.
Those who call ourselves as His children, ought to be
living witnesses, not as those who worship the Idols.
Their Idols are silver and gold as the Psalm says.

Here is something about the Idols.Indeed it is true
that people to this day make Idols for themselves
in various forms and worship them,every day and several times a day.Those of us who have an opportunity to live in this civilized country also have to pause and examin ourselves to see whether we knowingly or unknowingly
have created any Idols for ourselves like,fame&fortune,
if so we are dead in the spirit.

Let us tell the world about the Greatness of this living God
when ever it is possible because the world is watching us.
Let us worship The Creator, not the creation.

I am going to be honest and say yes I do replace God sometimes with other idols. There have been times in my life where I am undergoing a particular trial. I have not in those times turned to God. Instead I have relied upon my so called friends. Is it ok to say that friends can be our gods/idols?? I am not sure of this. I am learning to seek God first in every trial and hardship. I am reminded of the song "Give us clean hands" which reminds us not to lift our souls to man. Maybe then we would be more apt to seek His face.

I would be glad to comment on "statue gods," verses our "Living God." Statue gods are made of earthly materials, materials our Living God made. These materials are incapable of creating anything as well as helping another one of the living God's creation--us.

Many times we think that our daily spiritual lives to not consist of idols or graven images. Yet, so many times we become diverted from our present course of following our living Saviour and follow something of the world. Many times our idols may even consist of ourselves, our money, our situation or faults. Yes, that's right, sometimes even the things that we hold inside and do not give to our Redeemer hinders our relationship with Him. The false gods in the Old Testament may have been graven or solidified images, but most of our idols are simply the things that we face in life that divert us from relationship with Christ.

It is very interesting the humor that you bring to this blog, Hannah. Many times we would see that we all may very well be polytheistic, even if we do not accept it as truth. All the material or problems in our lives that we put in front of our relationships with Yhwh, they would be considered idols. So, thank you Hannah for at least admitting to you true belief. Ha ha, that's my attempt at humor for you.

I am person that really needs relationships. I am a RA and in my eyes being a RA is all about relationship. I feel that if my relationship with God is not first and I have other "idols" then my relationship with God suffers and therefore my relationship with my peers and dorm brothers suffer as well. I feel that most of the time I have to daily humble myself before God and remember that he is my friend but he is also my Lord and Savior. I am reminder by this in the old testament. I am truly thankful for the examples that the old testament gives of idols and how God reacts to his people when they worship.