Take It Down

"Idols always break the hearts of their worshippers." C.S Lewis

We live in a big world full of temptation, pleasures, power, prestige, and we engage in things that we think will bring satisfaction. It can be difficult being a Christian in this world because of all these things that contaminate and lure us. There is a constant pull for our attention, time, and resources. Before we know it we are living our lives without considering God. We work extra hard because its so competitive and we want to keep our job, we do things to fit in with this worldly system. Its demanding and it never has enough of us. Before we know it were serving something other than God. Then we begin to worry about our health, our job, our relationships, and our finances because we know that deep down we are not honoring God with any of it.
In the story in the book of Judges the Israelites were terrified of the Midianites because these people had their own god's, they stole from the Israelites, and oppressed them. The Israelites were so scared that they found places to hide in the caves and rocks! Well in the Old Testament God had a covenant relationship with his people, the Israelites that was conditional on their behavior and worship of God alone. When the Israelites started to backslide then God would let the other nations oppress them and take over. Then of course they would cry out to God and then God would raise up a deliverer. God gave them his words through a prophet and the prophet said this;
 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.” (Judges 6:10, ESV) God went to a man named Gideon and told him that he would deliver Israel through him. God reassured Gideon that he was with him and then he told him this;
25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:25-27

Application
What is your stronghold? Where is the stronghold, your work, your home, your school, etc?  What is taking up your time, attention, and affections? What are you devoted to?
Money+ greed= financial mess or stress
Body +lack of self control= health problems or mental healh problems
Relationship problems= pride
You fill in the blank ---------------------------
God won't be second in your life- he will prune out whatever it is that is keeping you from Him.

Whatever the issue is God wants you to take it down today and "put God on the top of the stronghold." Judges 6:26 Don't be afraid for He is with you, He will fight your battles. Seek Him and follow Him today.

Blessings.