“Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.” — Jeremiah 14:22 (NIV84)
Where we place our hope makes a difference! To many of us this seems obvious, but it is not to most. Ever since sin entered the world, people have had a problem defining reality. Every generation attempts to replace God with idols made by human hands. They put their hope in the gods they create and wonder at the end of the day why things didn’t work out. You see, idols aren’t real!!!! They are made by people. They may look like images. They might get worshiped like they are God. But at the end of the day, they are deaf, mute and powerless. They can’t provide us the providential support we seek and put our hope in them for. Today, humanity has become its own idol. The ultimate form of idolatry must be that of people deifying themselves. And that is where our society is today. There isn’t even a need for an image to worship because we worship ourselves and our own reason and intellect. But let’s be honest. Which of us has ever changed the present or made promises about the future? Which one of us has ever caused the rain to come? What human being has promised salvation for all humanity by becoming its redeemer? None! Every human being has the same needs and seeks the same answers.
Only God can provide what we need. He alone can change the present and alter the future. He alone can cause the rain to come when it is needed and cause it to cease when appropriate. Hence, Jeremiah states, “Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.” We have a God who promises to be intimately involved in our lives. He is not a God far off. He is very near to us. He provides us His Word so that we might be more certain of the way He works. Idols call us to hope in them blindly. This is not the case with God. We hope in Him because in every way He is faithful to His Word and promises. He has, is, and will do the things He promises.
Today, may we place our hope in the God who is true.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church