Remember God

Isaiah 46:8-10

⁸ “Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, you transgressors,
⁹     remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Often we come to a crossroads in our relationship with God. We have a sense of His power, but we do not feel it. A trial presents itself, a temptation of the devil or the world that we do not seem to grasp its heavy consequences. We succumb, and we fall in love with the thing about which we were anxious. Then it becomes something we love more than God. It becomes an idol.

We did not mean for it to replace God. Most believers would admit they did not expect the thing to become an idol. The process was gradual, and it was subtle, and it was slow. We might describe it as a snake slowly slithering to sneak upon us, and we do not see it. Then when we do, it mesmerizes us like Kaa in The Jungle Book.

As Isaiah the prophet speaks to the Israelites, one of the charges he brings to them from God is their love for idols. God understands they are sinful people. However, He does not excuse them. After all, they are His special people. God chose them for Himself, and they were to act like it. They were to be different among the other nations and teach them right from wrong, holy living from wickedness. Yet, the Israelites determined that the ways of the wicked were better, and they especially loved those shiny idols.

Notice the context of these verses. In this chapter, we see the description of the idols. They are metal and fashioned upon the shoulders. I love how the Holy Spirit, through Isaiah, tells them that these idols sit in the corner and never moves. They are cold, inanimate, but shiny. Knowing my heart—these idols would eventually become unshiny because I would not care for them and would tarnish over time. Maybe these sinners did better. Nonetheless, they fell into the trap of the world, their culture, thinking these idols were better than Yahweh. Verse one tells us they even give these idols names, Bel and Nebo (sounds like a title to some antagonistic wolf-in-sheep-clothing’s blog).

CH Spurgeon said, “Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” Manufactured emptiness with nothing inside is what idols are. They are cold and unfeeling. They can not move—not out of the corner and certainly not from a heart of emotion for or against those who worship them. No, they do not have to be physically tangible. They can be set right there, right there in the corners of our minds, or maybe in the dark corners of our hearts. And they make us forget God and His great goodness to us. Sneaky little idols they are.

That is why God implores the Israelites through the prophet to “remember.” Yahweh knows they know Him, and He knows their hearts are not too far gone. There is hope for them if they remember Him. Yes, they messed up. Yet God tells them to “recall it to mind, you transgressors.” It is as if God is saying, “You broke my heart. You loved another but Me. However, I still love you. I always have. Remember. Recall this great merciful love I have for you.”

When an idol takes residence in our hearts, the only way to extinguish it is to replace it with remembering what was there before it was there. Jesus said, “you cannot serve two masters. You will either love one and hate the other. Or be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 6:13).  So many times, we are determined to love the idol that don’t do anything.

So, Isaiah addresses our remembering God’s awesome sovereignty. Yahweh is a living God, a being who knows all, is all, does all. He moves and makes other things move. He is the Creator who has always been and will always be. God determines everything to come to pass. He is not stuck in some corner or in heaven sitting on His hands. No, He is actively involved in our lives. Remember. Recall. This God who planned everything before there was anything has your life planned now.

I am not sure what trial(s) you face right now. But I can help you to remember your God. Yahweh has not left you, and He does not sit still. God is sustaining you right now. Remember. Recall. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Dear one, know that God has established an excellent plan for your life. His track record for His people is perfect. Be sure that whatever you face, trusting Him is the only option. No other kind of idol will help you. There is none like Him. Remember. Recall.