Jeremiah 10:1-10

1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the LORD:
“ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due.
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;
A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is beaten into plates;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all the work of skillful men.
10 But the LORD is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Jeremiah 10:1-10 NKJV

The futility of idol worship is explored in this passage. The idea that objects have power within themselves to be gods seem strange to me on the face. How can something that I make be more powerful than me and guide and control me. A wooden or stone idol just sits there, it cannot move on its on, you have to carry it wherever you might decide it needs to be. The idol does not eat anything, or say anything, it does not breath, it does not think or create. Do not be afraid of them, said God. They are mere forms created by man and designated by man to be a god. A similar work is designated art and man looks upon it as just an object.
In verse two the signs of heaven are mentioned. to me, this actually seems more reasonable for something in which to put mystical powers. At least the signs of the heavens are bigger than me and something I don't understand and I and my fellow man had no part in creating. The heavens and their workings were here long before me and it appears that they will be here long after I am gone. So I could, if I wanted, look at the things in the heavens and imagine wonderful or disastrous import on different phenomenon that I observe. Of course, I will in reality be making it up and putting myself in control of the meaning and the import of any celestial happening. When I decide to believe in the stars controlling my life and my future and personality, I am once again putting man and his ideas in control of my life. And, I am once again worshipping the creation rather than the creator.
In comparing the creation of God or the creation of man to God Himself, there is no comparison. Verse six points out that there is none like the Lord, for He is truly great and His name is great because it represents Him and His power. God cannot be controlled by man. We don't pick Him up and carry Him to another place and sit Him down so that we can worship Him. God is omnipotent and has all wisdom and all truth as part of Himself. No man has the ability to understand the workings of creation in their completeness. God made the creation and understood the principals so well that He made each and every object and life form in the universe. Verse ten says that He is alive and He is everlasting. Why would I worship the created instead of the creator? Only so that I can be in control and not have to do what someone else, namely God, wants me to do. When I follow mans rules, then I as a man try to control my destiny. When I follow God's rules, I recognize the reality that God is in control of my destiny.

Lord,
Help me today to recognize that You are the true God. Help me to worship You and praise You for You are deserving of praise. Help me to put everything in my life in its rightful place, subordinate to You. Help my mind to understand and know of Your power and might and help me to allow You to come into my heart and make me anew in Your image. I want control, help me to give You control of my life and help me to choose to obey and serve You today, each moment of today.