Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory,
for the sake of Your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
He does all that He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
Psalms 115:1-11
As I was reading this passage and the related commentaries, my mind kept circling back to one thought: we all worship something. Every one has a “god”—a guiding principle, a passion that is master of their life. As I continued reading, I realized that verses 1-3 and 9-11 reveal a lot about the One True God. Verses 4-8 illuminate the contrast of idols. So I created a chart for comparison.
One True God idols
Loving & merciful hard & unfeeling
Reigns in Heaven resides on earth
Sovereign, has dominion controls nothing
Always has been, is & will be man-made
Holy dirty from ore dug from earth
Alive & powerful dead
All-seeing blind
Always hears our prayers deaf
All-knowing dumb
Transforms man into His Image made in the image of man
Has done everything for us can do nothing for us
This passage begins and ends with God. Ironic, isn’t it? Verses 1-3 remind us everything is for His glory and not our own. His mercy is freely given and cannot be earned. Therefore we boast in Him alone.
Look at these two verses:
You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham,
as You swore to our fathers from days long ago
Micah 7:20 HCSB
He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for His mercies to them.
Romans 15:9a NLT
God made plans long ago to be faithful and merciful to us. Verses 10–11 sum the passage up by reminding us wherein our strength and protection lie. The Lord is our “help and our shield” if we only will trust Him.
Acts 10:35 (NASB) tells us: “…but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” And not only are we welcomed but Psalm 147:11 (AMP) says our reverent fear delights Him: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.”
“God is seeking to make us like Himself” – Chuck Smith
Either we are making a “god” like ourselves and indulging in self-idolatry OR God is transforming us daily into His image. Our actions reveal our “god.”
What are your actions saying?
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Lord, we just want to thank You for all You have done for us. We treasure Your faithfulness and mercy towards us. Show us if we are allowing another “god” to become our passion. Stop us before it happens. We boast in You alone. May our actions and our lives bring You glory. In Your Holy name we pray, Amen – so be it!
