“The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.” Isaiah 41:7
With every passing year it seems my battle intensifies with the law of gravity. It seems, at times, that whatever item I am attempting to claim more easily succumbs to that law, and as it does, to the ground it goes; only to be stopped by whatever surface that resists those very same Newtonian principles. And as a result, here goes me, bending down to retrieve said thing, the sound effects of my age accompanying what now comes along with deep knee bends. But within this process it has made me more acutely aware of how easily things fall. Gravity never relents, it is seemingly always pulling, its invisible tentacles toppling things in my presence. And it is here, in this vein of gravitational thought, that God caught me this morning in Isaiah chapter 41. As God is extolling through the good prophet Isaiah of who He truly is, He cannot help but comment on the disappointing religious practices of those inhabiting the world at that time. And as He does, He candidly comments on the idols in which so many have confided in and placed their faith. And in one swift resounding blow God presents this chilling thought…what are you worshiping today and do you need to nail it down so it will not simply topple over?
The idea of worship is ingrained into mankind. No matter what it may be, today you will worship something. For most in the world today, it is themselves. More specifically their thoughts. They mentally create a god they believe will best serve them, they then create a pattern of beliefs about that god, and then it manifests into some type of physical item, pattern, or ritual. But don’t kid yourself, real physical idolatry still exists today, physical items created by human craftsmen, just like in our study verse. Just the other day, here in Mexico, we visited a cathedral that has at its center a 400 year old doll brought from Spain by Franciscan monks. The legend says that at one time it had magical powers from the Lord to grant salvation from sins and to this day it is dressed exquisitely in silk, encased in gold and glass, and kept with great reverence on the very front and center of the altar of that cathedral...right in front of a painting of Jesus. Oh, how heart-wrenching it was for me to see a woman approach that idol on her knees, praying not to her creator, but the created. And if that seems hard for you process, what would you say if I were to tell you that for 4 months of every year, they parade that doll around in her own brand new car to all the different cathedrals in the state so her blessings won’t be hogged up by just one cathedral? Believe it. And what would you think if I were to tell you that the celebration of the doll’s return to its home cathedral is a national holiday and is so celebrated that almost 2 million people will line the streets of Mexico to herald its return with prayers, praise, and thanksgiving? Believe it. But yet in all of this, God’s simple yet scientific law rings true, can simple gravity topple your god? This god, this idol, readily worshiped by millions in Mexico, if not nailed down, will easily fall to the ground…a fallen image brought down by the simple everyday gravity of God.
But yet the idea runs deeper. The idea that unless it is Almighty God, whatever you are placing your faith in today is in danger. It is in danger of a fall. Unless nailed up, propped up, tended to, and carefully watched, it will fall as simply as a cookie to the floor. Examine your life today. What gets most of your time? What gets most of your attention? What is it that creates distance between you and God? Is it work? The necessity of a career masquerading behind the fact that it’s really more about the money, power, and praise that the job offers? It can topple. Is it stuff? The idea of buying things you can’t afford, with money you don’t have, to impress people you don’t know? All things that can topple in the nearest breeze. Is it self-created religion? The idea being that you have visited the local ‘religious buffet’ and created a combination plate religion that pleases you, makes perfect sense to you, and satisfies what you choose to believe? Unless based on the truth of Almighty God, all religions not based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are doomed to fall. Regardless of whatever it may be, carefully examine the things in your life and simply ask yourself, am I nailing these things down because they can easily be toppled?
Today, may you in great faith, simply be kneeling at the feet of the One that was at the beginning and will be at the end, the Alpha and the Omega. May you humbly be worshiping the One that created all that is and all that will ever be. May you be giving thanks and praise to the One that breathed into existence all that is with just His mere Words. May you be on your knees to approach not an idol, but to approach the One that sent His only Son here to pay the eternal price for the sin that condemns your life. And friends, in this there is one promise, a promise that echoes throughout eternity…Jesus Christ will never topple…He will never fail, He will never fall, and He will never forsake those that have called on His name in Salvation.
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:1-2
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