The Worthless Idols

My first car was a 1978 Honda Civic.  Nothing fantastic about it except that it got great gas mileage.

Well, and it had a sun-roof.
And it had a kickin stereo.
I had sheep skin covers on the seats.
And it had a license plate that read "ITS ME"

It was a great car and I really enjoyed it.  Who wouldn't right?  I used my Civic through my senior year of high school as well as my first couple of years of college.  I drove it all the way from Oregon to Michigan.  It got me to school, the movies, work, the beach and everywhere in between.  My car was my freedom.

Slowly and surely though, my car disappeared from my sight.  Not like a dream vanishing from us once we wake up, but in a real tangible way.

• First it was my prism hanging from my review mirror.  I was at the mall once and someone apparently needed more than I.
• Next while I was driving from Montana to Michigan, I pulled into a truck stop to gas up.  When I went to start it... I soon discovered that the starter was out...
• Then it was my most awesome stereo.  It was while I was I was attending Bible college.  I had locked my doors, but not the hatch.  In the middle of the night, someone opened the hatch, then unlocked the door left my car, but took my stereo.  My car remained silent.
• Soon it became the car itself.  One day while I was traveling from Grand Rapids to the shore of Lake Michigan, the engine died.  Not just a "out of gas" died, or a "I think it may need new spark plugs" died, but a true death died.

My most awesome Honda Civic was gone.

It dawned on me that perhaps this car, was more than just transportation for me.  Perhaps it was becoming something more.  Sounds a little weird typing this now, but could this car be a status symbol?  Could it have been more to me than God?  Was this why, He felt it necessary to take it from me?  Little by little... He was bringing the axe to this idol.

I am reminded of Jonah's prayer while he was in the belly of that great fish;

Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

How true is that?
So my prayer for today is that God would continue to show me my idols.  Whether they are physical or spiritual.  I pray that He would bring the axe to them.

Uproot them all.