The Modern-Day Idol Of Materialism
The apostle John, towards the end of his life, wrote a series of short letters to people he cared about. His final words in one of those letters came straight from his father’s heart:
“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts”
1 John 5:21 (NLT)
The words are simple, but they reflect a powerful truth. We need to watch out for anything that might compete with God for our love, trust, and devotion. Anything that pushes God out of the center of our lives is, whether we realize it or not, an idol.
One of the biggest idols we face is materialism. Materialism isn’t so much about the things we have as it is about what they do for us. When we look to them, rather than to God, for our safety, validation, or comfort, those possessions have usurped the throne of our hearts. We may not say it out loud, but our actions show that we have begun to trust money, things, or status more than we trust God.
Jesus warned, “You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24, NLT). Idolatry always leads to bondage. It promises security, but instead it fuels anxiety and a restless chase for more. Paul was clear about this in Colossians 3:5, calling greed a form of idolatry. When we believe that more will save us, fulfill us, or make us feel valuable, our hearts are pulled away from God.
But there is a better way. When God is at the center of our hearts, everything else finds its proper place. Instead of gripping things tightly, we can hold them loosely, as blessings from him that he has given us to manage. We become stewards, not owners.
This perspective brings freedom and peace. We don’t depend on what we have for our happiness. So, we don’t get obsessed with accumulating things, getting rich, or improving our status. And we don’t feel like our world is coming to an end if we go through loss.
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Has anything been taking God’s place in your affections? Begin to surrender those areas to him. Practice gratitude for what you already have, and watch how contentment grows. Worship him daily, lifting your eyes off what you lack and onto who he is. His love is enough, and his presence is better than anything you could buy or earn.
You will only find real freedom and lasting joy when Jesus is first. Today, choose to enthrone Jesus in his rightful place in your heart.
Excerpt from "Understanding Spiritual Warfare" devotional by Dr. Mark Jones
Human Life Is Never An Accident
Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us that human life is never an accident or an afterthought. Before anyone else knew your name, the Creator of the universe did. Before the world placed expectations on you, He’d already seen your life in its entirety. Every joy, every trial, every victory, and every tear was known to Him from the beginning.
This truth gives every human life immeasurable value. Our worth isn’t determined by our achievements, failures, or whether others recognize our significance. It’s grounded in the God who intentionally creates each person in His image and calls them according to His purpose.
If God knew you before you were formed, then He hasn’t forgotten you today. Whatever season you’re walking through, you’re not unseen, overlooked, or abandoned. The same God who knew you before birth still holds your life in His hands - and remains faithful to accomplish His purposes.
You’ve never been a stranger to your Maker. You’ve always been known. You’ve always been passionately loved. And through the radical grace of Jesus, you’re invited to step out of the dark and to intimately know the One who knew you first.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;..."
Jeremiah 1:5a (NKJV)
- David Delfeld
Provided by "I Am With You Always"
In A Single Season...
Never underestimate what God can do in a single season.
We often assume that because our circumstances have remained the same for a long time, they will always remain that way. We begin measuring God’s faithfulness by our current reality instead of His eternal promises. Yet throughout Scripture, God repeatedly reminds us that He is not limited by timelines, human expectations, or impossible situations. The God who created the heavens and the earth is more than able to change the direction of a life in ways no one could have imagined.
One season can look ordinary, and the next can become the very season that changes everything.
David understood this better than most. Before he was ever known as Israel’s greatest king, he was simply a shepherd caring for sheep in the fields. His days were filled with responsibilities that seemed unnoticed by everyone except God. While others saw an overlooked young man, God saw a king in preparation. The wilderness was not a delay to God’s plan. It was the classroom where David learned courage, dependence, humility, and faith. Every lion he defeated and every bear he faced was preparing him for a giant that would one day stand before him. Then, in God’s perfect timing, everything changed. The shepherd became the king.
David did not promote himself into the palace. God brought him there.
Ruth’s story reminds us that faithfulness in small places is never wasted. She was a widow living with uncertainty, gathering leftover grain behind harvesters simply to survive. By the world’s standards, her future appeared limited. She wasn’t searching for influence or wealth. She was simply choosing obedience one day at a time, faithfully caring for Naomi and trusting the God of Israel. Yet the very field where she gathered scraps became the field she would one day possess. God transformed a place of survival into a place of inheritance.
Only God can write stories like that.
Mordecai experienced another remarkable reversal. For years he faithfully served without recognition. He sat outside the king’s gate while others enjoyed positions of influence inside the palace. There were moments when it probably seemed as though his faithfulness had gone unnoticed. Yet God was working behind scenes Mordecai could not see. At exactly the right moment, the king remembered him. The man who once waited outside the palace gates was suddenly welcomed inside with honor. What looked like years of silence became the foundation for an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness.