I toured a museum that had historical artifacts from all over the world. It was amazing how many of these artifacts were idols and carvings made by hand. Some were stone or clay. Some were wood. Some were metal. The one that gave me the biggest creeps was a large stone with carvings all around. This was where humans were sacrificed in order to ensure the sun came up the next morning.
These idols and carvings made me think about the ‘God Hole’ that the Lord placed within every human being He created. Only Jesus can fill these ‘God Holes’ and give true fulfillment. People may try to fill them with all kinds of other things, but they will never satisfy that yearning inside.
Idols and carved images are so detestable to God, that He gave us the 2nd Commandment:
“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” (Exodus 20:4-5a NLT)
The Lord took it one step further with Isaiah and Jeremiah pointing out the craziness of the whole process of making idols:
How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit? All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame. The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint. Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine. He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.” Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!” Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?” The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?” (Isaiah 44:9-20 NLT)
“Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” (Jeremiah 10:3-5 NLT)
I told you about the historical artifacts that I was able to see in a museum. Now let’s move on to the world we live in today. People may not make and worship carved images like they did in the past, but they have learned how to replace them with other things that try to fill their ‘God Hole’. Their idol could be their jobs, political power, sports, possessions, alcohol, drugs, sex, another person, false religion, or a number of other things that tries to fill the hole only Jesus can truly fill. Jesus not only fills, but He goes one step further and fulfills:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV)
The question now comes down to you. What have you tried to fill your ‘God Hole’ with? Have you filled it with Jesus?
Keep in mind that donuts were made to have empty holes in the middle, but people weren’t!
Every living soul ever created will face a day of judgement and reckoning eternally for what they tried to fill their ‘God Hole’ with:
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! (Matthew 13:41-43 NLT)
The reality is that Jesus is the only way!
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NLT)
“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12 NLT)
Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NLT)
So please don’t go the way of the world!
“And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your Lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.” (Daniel 5:23 NKJV)
Annointing 