36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods…
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
Psalm 106:36-37, 39
Have you ever seen a hamster on a wheel? The endless spinning, but going nowhere. That’s how the chase of worldly things leaves us. When we allow our pursuit of earthly things to distract us, we wind up in the same place we started with a lot less energy. Have you ever thought of the implications of our chase on those around us?
In Psalm 106:36-37, 39, we see the people of Israel becoming ensnared by the practices of their neighbors in Canaan (the promised land). The Israelites, God’s chosen people, had been given specific instructions as how to conduct themselves and who to conquer. They did not follow God’s command and as a result strayed from God’s will.
The passage goes on to say that they sacrificed their children to those false gods. The use of sacrificed could be literal or perhaps even figurative, meaning the parents lead their children to commit destructive sins. It is clear that the people had tainted themselves by devoting their talents to an unworthy idol.
What are you devoting your talents to? Are you the hamster on the wheel working in vain? If you paused and reflected on your life, do you have things that distract you from God? Are you willing to decrease their grasp on your life in order for God to increase?
A Prayer starter…
Heavenly Father, Today, I will no longer allow the world to use all of my talents in exchange for nothing. I refuse to continue endlessly spinning in circles. I will no longer allow things of this world to distract me from pursuing you as my Lord and Savior. God, I release the feelings of void to you; Only you can fill them. Help me to be an example for those around me… Amen.
-S.L.E.
