The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them.
Psalm 135:15–18 (ESV)

I think it is fair to say that in your lifetime you will never see an idol do something meaningful. In fact, you won’t see them do anything at all because they are simply the works of human hands. They can’t speak, see or hear because they have no breath in their lungs. They are lifeless creations of inadequate creators. Nothing created can ever become greater than its creator. Why is it that sinful people think that they can carve out a deity who will be worthy of their praise? If we believe that to be true, then we are really just like them. We don’t speak the truth. We don’t see reality. We don’t hear God’s voice. We are lifeless and spiritually dead. Those who make idols and those who worship them are exactly like idols themselves.

While it is true that things in our lives can become idols of sorts, there are still many people in the world today who worship physical idols. I was in Asia a few years ago and on almost every street I saw temples where people brought daily sacrifices to idols made by their own hands. They worship lifeless objects in the hope of gaining eternal life, but their devotion will only lead them to destruction.

You and I were made to worship the living God. Jesus is alive today and he came to give us life. He is our creator and he is greater than all of us and worthy of our praise. He spoke the world into existence and he speaks life through his Word. He sees you as you are and knows you better than you know yourself. He hears when you pray. It’s his breath that fills your lungs. We have incredible hope in the God that we worship.

Give thanks to God for who he is and the fact that you have a relationship with him. And pray for the lost who worship idols made by human hands. Pray that their eyes would be opened and that they would receive the truth.