Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Daily DevotionalSample

Who made whom? Mankind is engaged in an ongoing struggle. It's a struggle that relentlessly battles to fashion a substitute for the Lord, a worthless idol that can be worshipped and given devotion. And the inescapable irony is that while God made man in His image, man goes about trying to make gods in man's image. Granted, most people don't see it that way. They don't consciously set out to create an idol they can bow down to and devote all they are and have to. And yet that's exactly what happens. These man-made substitutes range from prestigious positions in a corporate setting to the most shameful addictions. They can span the spectrum of virtually every experience in this life. A hobby, a child, a possession, an agenda, a routine, an ideology...all have been made into an idol of worship at one time or another as people have devoted themselves to them. Again, those are the "carved images" that we create, and the sad truth is that those who worship them are "put to shame." Oh, it may not seem like it at first-or even after many years. But eventually, there's an inescapable emptiness, a shame-filled realization that "I wasted my devotion on something that can't save me." The only escape is to devote ourselves to the "Him" Psalm 97 speaks of, the King of kings and Lord of lords...Yahweh Elohim, the One who made us in His image and likeness. Only He can save us from ourselves, from our sin, and from the shame that comes from settling for the things we substitute for Him. Help us, our Maker and Creator, to steer clear of any substitute that we might serve instead of You. Mankind is engaged in an ongoing struggle. It's a struggle that relentlessly battles to fashion a substitute for the Lord, a worthless idol that can be worshipped and given devotion. Think about it... What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today?