Like What We Worship

Invoking the gods, Photo by Effervescing Elephant

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.” – Psalm 115:4

The psalmist records a vivid description of idol worship in Psalm 115. The psalmist contrasts false gods, or idols, with the one true God. The descriptions of these idols are of gods who are constructed with hands, gods who are made of silver and gold, inanimate objects. These false gods have mouths, but do not speak. They have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear. They have noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but cannot handle. They have feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even utter sounds, or mutterings, from their throats. They are dead!

Those who construct these idols put their trust in them and become like them, according to the psalmist (115:8). The psalmist is saying that we become like what we worship. If we worship dead inanimate objects, then we, in effect, become dead and inanimate ourselves. We become lifeless like the false gods of our own making. Verse 17 echoes this sentiment when it declares, “The dead do not praise the Lord.” The psalmist urges Israel to trust in the Lord, the one true God, and says that it is God who is their help, and it is God who is their shield (115:9).

As we come to know the one true God, we will become more and more like Him. Part of the reason many Christians do not look like Christ is that they do not know Him as they should, or see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2 says that “we are children of God” and “it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The more we see and know God, the more we will be like Him and the more we will be as we are supposed to be. Knowing God leads to worshiping God and leads us to life transformation and animation.

Are we like what we worship? Are we alive? Do we like what we are worshiping? Are we animated, or are we lifeless? What are we like? Do we look like our Lord Jesus, or do we resemble lesser loves?

Would we live lives of worship, transformation, and animation! May we see God as He is and be more and more conformed into the image of Jesus.