1 Samuel 5:1-4 “After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.”
Reading this verse took me back a few years ago to a time when I was visiting a friend at her house and she gave me a gift. The gift was a small, golden, Buddha statue. Now, at the time, I didn’t really know much about Buddha and I don’t think that it even occurred to me that he was worshiped like a god by many. I just remember being very excited about this gift because I was interested in mediation, healing, and finding inner peace, all of the things that Buddha was known to represent.
So, when I made it home from my friend’s house, I decided to put this Buddha up on display in the windowsill of my dining room. I placed the Buddha statute on top of a rock so that he would sit up high next to some pictures that I had up there and a cross, and then I went to bed.
The next morning when I got up, I went downstairs, and I noticed that the statue had fallen off the rock and onto the floor. I wondered how that happened. It couldn’t have been the cats because the window was up too high, but then I thought nothing more of it as I picked him up and placed him back up on top of the rock.
Now I would like to take a moment to tell you that I had just started coming to church regularly at this time and I was beginning to learn more about God. I learned during some of our services and in my small group, that we are created in God’s image and that just as we are emotional beings, our Father is too. God has feelings. He is pleased when we praise Him and proud when we do good things. He also gets angry, and He is a jealous God just as His word says in Deuteronomy 5:9, where we read, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”
So, with that being said, the Buddha statue fell a few more times over the next few days and I continued to pick it up and place it back up on that rock next to the pictures and the cross, and then one day, the statue went flying out of the windowsill and hit the floor right in front of me as I stood in the kitchen fixing breakfast. The head broke off when it fell and rolled right underneath the table and I was astonished! How in the world did that just happen when I was literally standing right there, and I knew that nothing had touched it? Then suddenly something clicked inside my head and I understood! Buddha was not to be worshiped and I had placed him high up on top of a rock for all to see and admire. Suddenly I had a new understanding about what was happening right before my very eyes, and I was sorry. I was sorry that I worshiped somebody other than God, and I was sorry that I had hurt my Father’s feelings, and/or made Him angry, so I immediately picked that Buddha statue up and threw it in the trash.
Did I throw Buddha away because he is not good? No. Did I throw him away because I don’t like what he represents? No. I threw Buddha away because I am a Christian and it was made very clear to me that I shall worship no other than my Father in Heaven.
In Exodus 20:3, God’s word says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” and in 1 John 5:21, He says, “Therefore, My dear friends, flee from idolatry.”, and in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” So, who will you choose to worship? I choose God, and while I still have respect for Buddha and what he stands for, just as I do for other religions, I will never worship him again or place him high up on a rock. God is my Rock, always was, always is, and always will be.
Question
I’m sure that we have all known people who have done things like visit a psychic to learn about their future instead of trusting in God’s plan, or somebody who worships false idols such as Buddha, or another who may idolize money and material things more than God. So, my question is, How do we approach these people respectfully and tell them that what they are doing is wrong? How do we tell them that not only is God hurt by their actions, but that He may become jealous and angry about it as well?
In my situation, I had no idea that what I was doing was wrong until I was taught that it was not OK. I think that this may be true for others as well because when we do not know God personally, or have a relationship with Him, then we don’t take His feelings into consideration the way that we should. So, how do we help others figure this out? Especially those who may not attend church or study God’s word? Do we approach them with this information and hope that it is well received? What if it isn’t? Do we just pray for them, knowing that God will open their hearts in due time, when He feels that they are ready?, or do we do nothing at all?
Prayer
Abba thank You for all of the ways that You teach us about what pleases You and what does not. Thank You for forgiving us every time that we have hurt You either intentionally or unintentionally and thank You for opening our hearts to understanding. Thank You Abba for ripping off the blinders and for untangling the web of sin that has encapsulated our hearts and drawn us from You. Thank You for helping us to teach others about You and for opening up their hearts so that they are ready to receive this message. Thank You Abba for teaching us to put complete faith in You knowing that above all else, You are the one who will guide us and meet our every need and thank You for the comfort and the peace that this provides.
In Jesus Beautiful Name, Amen.