September 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Isaiah 46:3–4

Devotional

That is what the Lord says to the people who are alienated from true religion by serving idols. Idol worship is the exact opposite of true worship. In false worship the idol does not carry man, but man carries the idol. Verse 7 reads, “They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him.” That is indeed what you will have to do with an idol, because he cannot move himself.

But the Lord says to Israel that He is not a God that has to be carried by His people. He Himself carries His people from the cradle to the grave. That is true religion. Those who are privileged to know the only God are carried. But those who serve an idol have to carry their god themselves. That is a heavy religion, when you have to bear the weight of an idol on your shoulders wherever you go. And when you expect help in distress from such a god, he does not answer. Even if you were to cut yourself with knives, as the priests of Baal did, such a god would not come to your rescue; or when your shoulders cave in because of death, then such an idol falls to the ground and breaks in pieces like Dagon.

True religion is not a heavy religion. Its yoke is easy and its burden is light. The only thing that is hard for man is to let himself be carried. He would much rather stand on his own two feet than be carried by God. But how blessed it is to learn to surrender yourself before the Lord and to have the Lord as your help. He still invites poor and needy ones, those who are tired of their idols, to come to Him. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28); because, He says, “I will carry.”

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.