They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
When I was young, my father and I were hunting on a particularly cold day just after an afternoon snow. As the sun was going down, my dad shot a deer, but it ran deep into the woods, leading us to track it further and further into the darkness of the forest. At first, I was confident that we would soon find the animal and shortly be back at the warmth of camp; after all, we were prepared with proper equipment and had our flashlights. However, as minutes went by, the woods became darker and darker. I remember watching my father slip on a wet fallen tree and tumble to the ground, slamming his flashlight into the ground which shattered the bulb. As everything went black, I quickly fumbled around with my backpack to access my flashlight, only to discover that its power switch had somehow been turned on inside my pack, and the batteries were dead. At that moment, in the blackness of the thick forest, with only the light from the moon reflecting off the snow, I found myself completely confused. I became unsure of any direction and was afraid to decide on a path of escape.
Obviously, my father and I made it out of the woods that night, but I never forgot about the pervasive sense of confusion that I felt in that moment. Confusion is paralyzing; it makes us fearful and unable to make decisions, not knowing which direction to take.
Isaiah 45:16 declares that those who make idols will be ashamed, confounded, and confused. Most people would not consider themselves idol to be idol manufacturers. After all, very few Americans spend their time crafting little statues to which they bow down and pray. However, idol making does not require wood and stone or even silver and gold. Idols are made in the heart before they are made with hands. This makes them harder to see but no less destructive to our lives.
An idol is constructed in our hearts when we put our trust in something other than God. Maybe we find ourselves trusting our own intelligence when we need to make a decision rather than praying and asking God for His will. Maybe we trust our large bank account to secure us from future trouble without realizing that God owns everything and that wealth can vanish in an instant. That in which we put our trust, whether visible or invisible is what we worship.
Unfortunately, making idols in our hearts has destructive consequences in our lives. Our Bible passage for today clearly tells us that if we make idols, we will end up being confused. We will wonder why things in our lives are “just not working out”. We will be paralyzed, without direction, unsure of what decisions to make, afraid of what the future holds.
However, when we tear down the idols we have made in our hearts and trust only in the Lord for our direction, provision, and protection, we will be secure and steadfast in our minds. As Psalm 20:7,8 declares, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
If you are feeling confused, examine your heart for idols. It may be that you need to return God to His place of preeminence in your life.
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