In today’s Part II of our devotion, we will examine one more system and several substance and substitute gods.
Atheism
Even the atheist worships a god called self. With no god to believe in he places himself as the supreme person in his universe, and spends the rest of his life searching for a reason for his existence. Searching every pathway, every byway, overturning every stone, examining every philosophy, and experiencing every feeling, as he comes to the end of his journey, the answer he finds is that none exists.
The Bible says that false “system gods” can never solve our problems or satisfy our hunger for meaning. (Colossians 2:8) admonishes us: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Substance And Substitute Gods
The other type of false gods we worship in America today allure us with their charm and their prospects for a rewarding future, then place us under their yoke of bondage. These “substance” and “substitute” gods are deceptive deities and come in a curious array of sizes and shapes.
To over 10 million citizens of our land, god is found in a bottle. The alcoholic has a special relationship with his bottle that few people are allowed to violate. It’s his preoccupation, passion and permanent companion, to which he swears complete allegiance. Under her influence, all hope for a rewarding life is literally smashed “on the rocks.” (Proverbs 20:1) warns, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.”
Another type of false hope comes on four legs and has fur all over its body. Horse racing is a multi-billion dollar business. So many people are hooked on these horses that they call the track their second home. Poker chips, dice and slot machines have cast their mesmerizing spells on millions. For this growing percentage of our population, the only thing that is a sure bet is that they always seem to remain behind the “eight ball.”
Heroin, cocaine and crack offer instant highs to anyone willing to trade his soul for a one-way ticket into the land of the living dead. Millions of Americans have allowed these mind-altering chemicals to permanently place a trip back to reality, a dream that can never come true. For those individuals, bowing down to these goddesses of pills and powder is no longer an option but an obsession.
The Holy Scriptures clearly warn us that these false “systems,” “substances” and “substitutes” can only lead us into slavery. They offer hope, but never seem to deliver. They masquerade, the Bible says, as “angels of light,” but soon reveal themselves to be producers of darkness.
False gods can never lead one to the truth; just ask their worshipers. (Proverbs 14:12) says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”