Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
Jonah 2:8
How does a person turn from his or her idols? There’s a one-word answer to this question—“love.” Maybe you are drawn to God, and yet something inside you holds back. We want to draw near to God, but how can we overcome this impulse to avoid Him?
That’s why Jesus has come into the world. He came to seek and save the lost. Jesus told a story about a lost sheep. The sheep wandered off, hiding from the shepherd, and then got so far off the path that it could not find its way back. So, the shepherd came looking for the lost sheep.
Christ came into the world because God loves you. He came to bring you back. He came to seek and save you from your idolatry. He gave Himself for you, laying down His life so that your idolatry might be forgiven. He came so that you may be weaned off your self-love and become a true lover and worshipper of God. He reaches out to embrace you, even while you are hiding from Him. And it takes a lot of energy to keep on resisting love like that.
Jonah 2:8 says, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” There are idols and there is love. You can cling to the idols and forfeit God’s love, or you can forfeit the idols and then you will receive the love.
Think about the love that could be yours—saving love, redeeming love, love to make you more like Jesus, love for service, love for ministry.
What’s your worthless idol? What is it that is so good in your life that it would make you ready to forfeit the love of God that could be yours?
