The Root of Idolatry

The Lord has all you need for living abundantly. This truth is the linchpin of our battle with idolatry. Let's look at a man who doubted God's ability in 2 Kings 7. First, I take you to his demise:
2 Kings 7:16–17 (ESV) Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.

The story of the king's captain in 2 Kings 7 is a warning for all who would question the power of God and the grace of God in the midst of terrible times. 

The Lord determined through the mouth of the prophet Elisha that the famine Israel was experiencing was going to be turned into a feast of epic proportions at the end of 2 Kings 6. The king's captain scoffed, questioning the POWER of the Lord. 

2 Kings 7:2 (ESV) Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” 

Elisha rebuked him sternly: “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (Verse 2b). 

We should notice the captain did not question the goodness of the Lord or the willingness of the Lord. He questioned the power and ability of the Lord. He also questioned the capacity of heaven to change anything about life on Earth. In short, he believed God's hand was too short to save. 

His death epitomizes the life of a person convinced God is limited by one's circumstances. As the people rush to enjoy the Lord's provision the captain is killed in the process. 

You know what idolatry is rooted in? It's rooted in the fundamental belief that what God has to offer us is far less than we need or could want. It's rooted in the idea that heaven is short on funds for our situation and although God would like to do something for us He is limited. Because many people believe this world has what God cannot offer us, they turn their heart's affections away from the Lord and toward the temporal pleasures of this Earth. 

Conversely, the destruction of idolatry in our lives begins when we see God for what He has to offer - unlimited provision and all necessary accommodation for life to the full! 

This is why Jesus declared;
John 10:10 (ESV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The enemy wants to steal your faith in God's goodness and capacity. He wants you to believe like this captain - that God cannot do for you what you need. Don't let him. Reject his voice and lean into the voice of your loving heavenly Father. He will always provide abundantly and His provision is always better than what this world has to offer. 



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