Generally, the promises in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah were given in times of upheaval and distress. As each OT prophet foresaw, there was a future age of turmoil for the people of Israel. It was no different in the prophecy we looked at Sunday from Micah 5. As I noted in my sermon, the…
Through the years, Jill and I have sought to help our kids deal with the idols of their hearts. One of the ways that we’ve helped them identify these dastardly enemies of our souls is by helping them see that when idols are close to being exposed, sinful responses usually follow. Anger, dismissal, covering up, hiding, or other things have helped our kids see where their idols lurk. I have often said that when I’m counseling people when they get mad, we’re “about to hit paydirt.” My point is that we will do anything to keep our idols.
I don’t know if enough attention gets drawn to the idols of our hearts. Idols are generally not evil or sinful things. Usually, they are good things that we want too much and want now. They move from desires to needs. They become things we crave and think we cannot live without. And they dominate our thinking.
In my years in the ministry, I have found that people like to put on fronts, like to protect their reputations, and are afraid of being exposed. I’ve said often, “everyone wants accountability until they get it.” It’s true. We’ll ask off-the-wall questions, make untrue accusations, and even remember things that never happened…all for the sake of the cover-up.
