Hosea 9:10 “…they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.”
Be careful what you love….
I remember a song we used to sing in Sunday School. Oh be careful little ears what you hear….oh be careful little eyes what you see…oh be careful little hands what you do.…It served as a warning for us rambunctious grade schoolers not to sin.
Too bad the nation of Israel didn’t embrace those lyrics. In their desire to be like other nations, they threw all caution to the wind. They imitated the evil practices of those surrounding them. They worshiped their idols. They exchanged God’s standard for Assyria’s, Egypt’s. Oh, they continued to give God lip service. They mistakenly thought their “morning mist love” would somehow appease him (Hosea 6:4). They were wrong. He gave them what they wanted. And the consequences were devastating.
No fruit. No children. No homeland. Their sins had found them out. They became what they loved.
The Psalmist also warns that we become like what we worship. If we trust in idols that cannot speak, our voices of influence will be silenced. If our idols have no eyes or ears we eventually will be blinded and deafened to the truth. Bowing down to idols without hands or feet ultimately immobilizes our dreams, our hopes, our purpose in life (Psalm 115).
In a culture that thrives on instant feedback, we can tend to think if our sin doesn’t bring immediate consequences, God must be overlooking it. We become experts in rationalization. No archaic legalisms in my life…I’m free!
We forget…
There’s a Father up above who is looking down in love….That’s how the rest of that Sunday School song goes. God created us to be his people. He entrusts us with the incredible opportunity of showing the world what he looks like. He is watching to see Himself in you, in me. He is looking at our hearts. Looking to see what we love. Because what we love determines everything we say, everything we see, everything we hear, everything we do.
So, my friend, let’s be careful. Let’s not end up like Israel and find ourselves stripped of all that gives life and purpose. Let’s love what God loves…and become like Him.