For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Psalm 96:5

 

Have you ever owned something worthless? Lari and I did, and it was the worst purchase we ever made. We purchased a Chrysler K Car. Yes, we did. It was a gamecock garnet color, and we thought we were styling until that one day when we nearly had to push it up the side of the Beech Mountain. Those roads are very steep, but that old car made it up, making the most horrible sound in first gear. It was whining and barely moving. Honestly, I thought we weren’t going to make it. Within a couple of months, the engine melted, and the car was now worthless. Seriously, I’m not kidding. My mechanic told me the engine melted. At that point in my life, I owned something useless. Our next purchase was a Toyota and it was a much better purchase.

 

Worthless Idols

The Lord defines a worthless idol as the gods of the peoples. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 8:4 that an idol has no real existence, and that there is only one God. These people could pray to the god of the sun, the moon, or the rain. Nevertheless, it was useless because those idols did not exist and were not considered worthy. They were made up in the minds of the people to provide things they needed. Even Satan was instrumental in the creations of those “inferior and made up” idols. 

These idols could be things people made from their hands to worship. They worship the created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). Psalms 96:5 tells us that these idols are worthless. Isaiah 44:9-18 presents a beautiful picture of God and why we should worship Him.

We place our trust in so many things every day that we sometimes forget who deserves our trust. It’s difficult for everyone to live lives that put their trust in the only thing that matters because we are so distracted by the lure of stuff in life. That’s right. There is only one thing that matters, and He is not worthless. He is the true and worthy God.

A Worthy God

“But the Lord made the heavens.” This statement sums up the mighty power of God. God is the Creator. God is all-powerful and has an unlimited ability. There is an amazing parallel in this verse. One is that idols are worthless, and the second is that God is not worthless, but worthy. Sometimes we tend to place our trust in useless things. Cars, boats, people, and other things distract us from the real source of our joy and happiness. God is the source of all we need and enjoy in life. When is the last time you sat by yourself and prayed, read Scripture, and allowed God to encourage you through His word and creation around you? 

Maybe today would be a good day to sit outside and enjoy God’s creation. Look at the birds. Check out those annoying squirrels. Enjoy the beauty of His creation. Why? Because it helps us to understand the difference between a worthless idol who doesn’t exist and a worthy God who created all we enjoy. 

Maybe we can focus on the good things today. With so much to be anxious about in our world, perhaps we should steal away for an hour or so and simply enjoy God. 

The Lord says this about Himself in Isaiah 44.

6Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel

    and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

“I am the first and I am the last;

    besides me there is no god.

8 Fear not, nor be afraid;

    have I not told you from of old and declared it?

    And you are my witnesses!

Is there a God besides me?

    There is no Rock; I know not any.”

God is worthy….will you spend time with Him today?