Have you ever watched the introductions to a prize fight? The boxers bounce around the ring a bit, strutting their stuff before the audience, and then they find their respective corners of the ring and are introduced.
"Ladies and gentleman! In this corner we have....", and the first competitor is announced.
And then, attentions are directed to the opposite corner of the ring. "And in this corner we have...."
Two opponents come together for a matchup. A smash-up. A contest...to see who will be the victor and come out on top.
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines an "opponent" as a person, group, or entity that acts against another in a contest, game, argument, or conflict. It refers to a competitor, adversary, or rival who sits on the opposite side of a debate, match, or opposing view. It can also describe someone who opposes a specific plan, policy, or idea.
There are daily (by-the-minute?) boxing matches that go on within our hearts. So many things/people/ideas/philosophies vie and claw for our attention and our hearts and our worship.
Who and what will we believe in? What and who will we trust in?
Our God is known by us. But idols of every kind entice us--from financial security, to social popularity, to educational achievements, to fill-in-the-blank.
...And we each do. We all have our own unique idols. Comfort-crutches that we cling to when the tides of life pitch us to and fro and we get scared. We worship food, or bow before pornography, or we spend, spend, spend.
Idols come in every form and they please for a moment, but then we realize again that they have no true power to save us. And we know this to be true because we have clung to our idols enough and had no positive, healthy, life-giving results.
Instead, we are ashamed and we realize again that we are right back where we started, without victory and with the emptiness that comes with worshiping anything that we were not created to worship.
In this corner, ladies and gentlemen...are The idols of the nations. They are made of lies and unattainable outcomes. They are silver and gold. And these idols are the work of men’s hands.
They have no actual power, strength, or victory, and yet, people champion the idols of this world. We drool as these ineffectual idols strut their superficial and shallow stuff. We are consistently (and constantly) let down by these idols, and yet...we cheer them on and worship them.
God wonders why?
Why...when we have Him...do we settle and squander our affections on in-effective idols? Our Lord sees what we are pouring our time, our money, our hearts, and our lives into--day after day. God sees the farce of our affections. Don't we?
eyes they have, but they do not see;
(17) They have ears, but they do not hear;
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
(18) Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them. ~Psalm 135:16-18
Are we aware of who the Victor of this world is? Do we know Who deserves our attention and our every affection...and our worship?
The Lord!!!! May we bless Him, then!
- "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33
- In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, (4) for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (5) Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. ~I John 5:3-5
"Ladies and gentleman! In this corner we have...idols of the nations." These idols (unique to each of us), are "opponents" of God.
They act against another in a contest, game, argument, or conflict, and often in all of the above!
Idols refer to a competitor, adversary, or rival who sits on the opposite side of our God.
"Ladies and gentleman! In this corner we have...The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. (16) They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; (17) They have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. (18) Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them. ~Psalm 135:15-18
"Aaannnd, Ladies and gentleman! In this corner we have...our holy God and His only begotten Son.
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (17) He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ~Colossians 1:15-17
Our Lord is the victor of this match-up (against idols) every time. He is pure. He is living. He is holy.
Let's worship Him today (not empty idols). Let's bless Him today. Let each of our houses and each of us fear the Lord today.
(19) Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!(20) Bless the Lord, O house of Levi! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!(21) Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem!Praise the Lord! ~Psalm 135:15-21
There is no contest in this war for our worship: Our Lord is the worthy victor.
"Ladies and gentleman! In this corner we have....Jesus Christ, and He is our victor...and He is in our corner.
Blessings,
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