Psalm 115:1-11 - We Become Like the God We Worship

Psalm 115:1-11 1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2 Why should the Gentiles say, "So where is their God?" 3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.   Psalm 115 was written by an anonymous writer who was wanting to encourage the remnant that had come out of the captivity. They were experiencing difficulties as they were attempting to rebuild their lives and their nation. The psalmist is attempting to make them to think about the truth that the living God of Israel is far greater than the dead gods of the Gentiles and pagan around them. He is basically saying that they should take time to compare the God of heaven to the idols that represent the pagan gods. That might be something we should do ourselves in our own lives. It appears that Americans have forgotten the living God of heaven and traded Him for the dead, futile, and vain gods of the world. Today we worship pleasure, money, education, sports, success, fame and almost anything else that catches our attention. You might even get the idea that we worship our mobile phones when you look around and notice about everyone has their nose in it. Right now, the big thing seems to be “artificial intelligence” that has everyone’s attention. For sure the world is setting up for the false prophet who will set up an image for the beast, the Antichrist, in Revelation 13:11-18, and cause it to come to life which will then demand everyone to worship this image. The false gods that we worship today are vain, and professing ourselves to be wise we have become fools. We have exchanged the God of heaven for the gods of the earth that can only temporarily give us pleasure and relief but cannot save us. As a matter of fact, they enslave us to a life of futility and emptiness. But the greatest tragedy is not what the idols cannot do but what they can do to the people who worship them. We become like the God we worship. As we worship the true and living God, He transforms our ears to hear His truth and the cries of those in need. He gives us eyes to see His Word and His world and the path He wants us to walk. Our "spiritual senses" develop, and we become more mature in Jesus Christ (Heb. 5:10-14). But those who worship false gods lose the use of their spiritual senses and become blind to the light and deaf to God's voice. We become dead like the gods we worship. 1 Timothy 1:6 says when we live in pleasure, we are dead while we live. Ephesians 2:1-2 tells us that without Jesus we are dead in trespasses and sins when we follow the course of this world. Today we need to remember that our God in heaven in our help and shield (vv. 9-11). Not only does our God reign from heaven and proves every day that He is a living God in comparison to the dead gods of the Gentiles, but He is a God who cares for us. And when we put our trust in Him and fear Him, He will help us and protect us! Who will you decide to trust and live for today? God bless!